BY  THE  SAME  AUTHOR. 


OUR  FRESH  AND  SALT  TUTORS;  or, 
That  Good  Old  Time.  With  Illustrations 
by  Winslow  Homer  and  De  Haas.  In  one 
volume,  16mo,  extra  cloth,  $1.50. 

"  An  uncommonly  pood  story  for  boys;  fresh,  spirited,  and 
manly."  —  ffvrth  American  Re"iew. 

"  A  charming  book.  The  writer  has  succeeded  in  making  a 
genuine  '  boy's  book.'  In  leaving  boyhood  behind  him,  the  door 
has  not  been  shut  against  his  return  to  the  mysteries  of  a  boy's 
life.  This  work  is  so  fresh  and  hearty,  so  instinct  with  an  appre- 
ciation of  boy-life,  and  so  winning  in  its  Christian  lessons,  that  we 
can  heartily  recommend  it  to  our  young  friends  as,  in  its  kind,  the 
most  delightful  book  of  the  season."  —  Harper* t  Weekly. 

"  Destined,  if  we  mistake  not,  to  take  a  front  rank  among  the 
holiday  juveniles  of  the  present  season."  —  Boston  Daily  Advertiser . 

"'That  Good  Old  Time'  is  a  narrative  of  a  .summer  at  Cape 
Ann  fifty  years  ago.  Five  Boston  boys,  three  Graveses  and  two 
Higginsons,  stayed  there  for  months  with  their  tutors,  both  salt 
and  fresh,  —  one  must  read  the  book  to  know  what  that  mean-.  — 
and  two  old  black  servants;  and  such  a  glorious  time  as  they  had  ! 
Such  boating,  and  shooting,  and  studying,  and  frolicking;  such 
hair-breadth  escapes,  such  wonderful  discoveries,  and  such  a  light 
with  real  pirates !  It  is  all  told  by  one  of  the  bovs,  and  now  '  an 
old  moustache,'  who  sits  in  his  study,  and  recalls  the  old  time: 
recalls  it  with  boyish  enthusiasm  and  heartiness,  and  yet  with  a 
touch  of  sadness  at  the  changes  of  fifty  years.  It  is  bv  far  the  best 
book  for  boys  that  has  come  this  season."  —  Worcester  Spy. 

"  We  have  not  seen  a  better  book  for  boys  for  years."  —  Amer- 
ican Baptist. 

"  This  is  a  grand  book  for  the  boys  —  a  sort  of  Tom  Brown  at 
the  sea-side.  .  .  .  No  boy's  book  has  been  published  for  a  long 
time  that  we  have  enjoyed  so  much."  —  Ke.nne.btc  Journal. 

"  An  admirably  spirited  boy's  book,  written  by  one  who  is  as 
much  a  master  of  tins  class  of  literature  as  the  author  of  '  Tom 
Brown.'  .  .  .  The  whole  spirit  and  style  of  the  book  are  at 
once  manly  and  Christian;  its  illustrations,  which  are  numerous, 
are  full  of  spirit."  —  Western  Episcopalian. 

"Breezy  and  lusty,  and  good  for  blood-making  in  sluggish 
veins."  —  Boston  Post. 


•^-, 


Sliding  down  hill  on  barrel  staves.     See  pa-re  lln. 


WHITE  AND  KED; 


A   NARRATIVE  OF 


LIFE   AMONG   THE  NORTHWEST   INDIANS. 


HELEN    C.    WEEKS, 

AUTHOR    OF  "  THE   AI.NSLEE   STORIES  "   AND    "  GKANDPA' S   HOCSI." 


WITH  EIGHT  ILLUSTRATIONS  BY  A.  P.  CLOSE. 


NEW  YORK: 
PUBLISHED   BY   HUKD   AND   HOUGHTON. 


1869. 


Entered  according  to  Act  of  Congress,  in  the  year  1869,  by 

HURD  AND  HOUGHTOX, 

in  the  Clerk's  Office  of  the  District  Court  for  the  Southern  District  of  New 
York. 


RIVERSIDE,   CAMBRIDGE  : 

STEREOTYPED    AND    PRINTED    BT 

H.  0    HOUGI1TOX  AND  COMPACT. 


WHITE  AND  RED. 


CHAPTER  I. 

"BEARS!"  said  grandpa. 

"Panthers  and  Lynxes!"  said  Aunt 
Fanny. 

"  Wolves  and  Foxes ! "  said  Uncle 
Charley. 

"Three  hundred  miles  through  the 
woods  !  "  said  Aunt  Lizzie. 

"  You  will  die  before  you  get  there ! " 
said  Aunt  Margaret.  "  The  most  reck- 
less undertaking  I  ever  heard  of !  " 

"  All  the  wild  animals  together,  are  not 
as  bad  as  one  Indian.  Think  of  willfully 
risking  your  life,  and  that  precious  boy's. 
It's  wicked  ! "  and  grandma  lay  back  in 
her  chair,  and  shut  her  eyes. 

"What  is  it  all  about?"  asked  Dr. 
Brown,  who  had  come  in  just  in  time  to 
hear  the  list  of  animals.  "A  menagerie 
Harry  wants  to  see !  Bears,  and  pan- 
thers, and  wolves;  well,  why  should  he 
not?" 


2  WHITE   AND   BED. 

"  'Tisn't  a  menagerie,"  said  Harry,  whv 
had  been  standing  by  his  mother's  chair, 
waiting  for  a  chance  to  speak  "  It's  only 
the  Indian  country.  Mamma  's  got  a  let- 
ter from  papa,  and  he  wants  us  to  come 
where  he  is,  and  everybody  says  we 
shu'n't.  It's  real  mean,  /  think." 

"  The  best  thing  that  could  happen  to 
you,"  said  Dr.  Brown. 

Grandma  opened  her  eyes  and  sat  up 
straight,  and  there  was  such  a  chorus  of 
Ohs !  and  Whys  !  that  Dr.  Brown  put  his 
hands  to  his  ears.  "Yes,  the  best  thing 
that  could  happen,"  he  repeated,  when 
there  was  silence.  u  Harry  will  never  get 
well  here ;  in  the  first  place,  because  the 
air  is  not  good  for  him ;  and  in  the  sec- 
ond, because  you  are  not  willing  he 
should  have  half  enough  of  such  as  it  is. 
You  coddle  him  da}'  and  night,  when  he 
is  pining  to  be  let  alone.  The  boy  is 
growing  up  with  a  constitution  not  worth 
one  farthing ;  and  if  you  are  anxious  to 
kill  him  keep  him  here,  and  give  him 
plum-cake,  as  I  saw  you  doing  the  other 
day." 

"  That  piece  ! "  said  Harry  with  scorn. 
"  It  wasn't  big  enough  for  a  fly.  I  wish 
I  could  have  a  lot,  but  mamma  only  gives 
me  a  speck,  once  -in  a  while." 


WHITE    AND    RED.  6 

"  So  much  the  better,"  said  the  Doctor. 
"  Turn  you  loose  in  the  pine  woods  for  a 
year  or  two,  and  you  and  your  father  will 
come  home  strong  together.  Your  chest 
is  three  inches  narrower  than  it  should 
be." 

"It  will  kill  him,  I  know,  getting  out 
there,"  said  grandma. 

«  Not  a  bit  of  it,"  said  the  Doctor.  «  He 
will  grow  better  with  every  mile  of  the 
journey." 

Grandma  sighed,  and  shook  her  head, 
and  so  did  the  aunts,  but  mamma's  face 
looked  much  brighter. 

"  Really  it  is  a  terrible  journey,"  she 
said,  "  but  if  you  think  it  would  not 
hurt  Harry,  I  shall  be  so  glad  to  go." 

"  What  does  Henry  say  ?  "  Dr.  Brown 
asked.  "  He  thinks  it  safe  enough,  I 
suppose  ?  " 

"  Yes  indeed,"  said  mamma.  "  He  is  so 
much  stronger  himself,  that  he  thinks 
another  year  there  will  be  worth  more 
in  point  of  health  than  any  amount  of 
money  to  be  made  at  home  ;  so  he  will 
keep  his  appointment  at  Red  Lake,  where 
he  went  in  the  spring,  you  know." 

"Right  in  the  midst  of  Indians,"  said 
grandma,  in  a  pitiful  voice.  "  It  was  bad 
enough  having  him  there,  but  now,  with 


4  WHITE   AND    RED. 

Mary  and  Harry  going,  I  cannot  have  one 
moment's  peace  or  rest." 

"  Papa  says  they're  the  best  Indians 
there  are  anywhere,"  Harry  broke  in. 
"  He  says  we  shall  like  them ;  and  if  we 
can  make  up  our  minds  to  hardships,  we 
shall  have  a  real  good  time.  I'm  not 
afraid." 

"  How  will  you  go  ?  "  asked  the  Doctor. 

"Through  the  Lakes,  on  account  of 
Harry's  head,"  mamma  answered,  "and 
Henry  thinks  he  will  be  well  enough 
when  we  get  to  Milwaukie,  to  bear  a 
day's  ride  in  the  cars  easily." 

"  I  don't  doubt  he  will,"  said  the  Doctor, 
buttoning  his  coat.  "Let  me  help  you 
any  way  I  can.  Good-night  all." 

Grandpa  followed  him  to  the  door,  and 
there  was  a  sound  of  talking  from  the  hall 
for  a  few  minutes. 

"  I  do  wish  you  all  felt  differently  about 
it,"  said  mamma,  as  grandpa  came  in 
again.  "  I  am  sure  it  is  the  best  thing  for 
both  Harry  and  his  father." 

"  So  am  I,  on  the  whole,"  said  grandpa ; 
"and  now  the  only  thing  to  do  is  to  get 
you  off  as  soon  as  possible,  for  the  Lakes 
will  not  be  open  much  longer.  First, 
though,  we'll  put  Harry  to  bed." 

Harry  declared  he  was  not  sleepy,  but 


WHITE   AND    RED.  O 

went  up-stairs  at  last ;  and  while  grandma 
and  the  rest  are  still  talking  over  the  dan- 
gers of  the  journey,  I  will  tell  you  who 
they  are,  and  why  it  is  to  be  taken. 

Harry's  father,  Dr.  Henry  Prescott,  had 
entered  the  army  as  surgeon  for  one  of 
the  Massachusetts  regiments,  at  the'  open- 
ing of  the  war,  and  remained  in  it  to  tho 
very  end,  coming  home  on  furlough  once 
or  twice,  but  going  back  after  the  short 
rest  had  past,  without  thought  of  giving 
up  till  all  need  for  him  was  over.  Harry 
and  his  mother  were  with  him  sometimes, 
but  Harry  was  so  sickly  a  child,  that  his 
father  and  mother  both  dreaded  having 
him  anywhere  but  in  their  own  quiet 
home.  There  had  been  a  time  when  he 
was  strong  and  well,  but  scarlet  fever, 
which  kills  so  many  children,  had  taken 
away  his  baby  sister,  and  left  Harry  al- 
most blind,  and  with  headaches  which 
came  sometimes  every  week,  and  made 
him  weak  and  almost  helpless  while  they 
lasted. 

Papa  came  home,  when  peace  was  de- 
clared, to  find  his  one  little  boy,  what 
nurse  called  "  a  rack  o'  bones,"  and 
mamma  almost  worn  out  taking  care  of 
him.  Harry  could  but  just  bear  the  mo- 
tion of  a  carriage,  and  the  cars  brought  on 


6  WHITE   AND    RED. 

his  headaches  at  once.  Papa  took  him 
to  Newport,  thinking  that  sea  bathing 
might  help  him;  and  Harry  did  grow 
stronger,  though  the  headaches  still  re- 
mained. They  went  back  to  Boston 
when  fall  came;  but  it  was  papa's  turn 
now,  and,  as  the  months  went  on,  he 
coughed  a  little  hacking  cough,  and  grew 
so  thin  that  people  shook  their  heads,  and 
said  he  had  ruined  his  health  in  the  army, 
and  would  never  get  well.  Boston  east 
winds  and  sea  fogs,  settling  about  one  like 
a  wet  blanket,  made  him  worse,  and  worse, 
and  so  at  last  he  found,  that,  to  live  at  all, 
it  was  necessary  to  go  away  again.  He 
was  a  doctor,  you  know,  and  before  this 
had  sent  a  good  many  people,  sick  in  the 
same  way  as  himself,  to  the  far  North- 
west; many  of  them  had  come  home 
well  again,  and  he  knew  that  to  follow 
the  same  plan,  was  the  best  thing  to  do. 
So  they  gave  up  their  own  little  house, 
and  mamma  and  Hary  went  to  stay  at 
grandfather  Barnard's  till  Dr.  Prescott 
should  have  tried  the  West,  and  decided 
whether  or  not  they  had  better  join  him 
there. 

So  he  went  from  one  town  to  another 
in  Minnesota,  getting  better  very  slowly, 
but  never  well,  and  sometimes  sadly  dis- 


WHITE   AND    RED.  7 

couraged,  till  at  last  he  made  up  his  mind 
to  try  the  "  Pineries,"  as  the  great  woods 
are  called.  In  the  mean  time,  an  appoint- 
ment as  doctor  for  the  Red  Lake  band  of 
Chippewas  was  offered,  and  Dr.  Prescott, 
who  knew  well  how  necessary  it  was  that 
every  one  should  have  some  special  work 
to  do,  accepted,  with  the  privilege  of  giv- 
ing it  up,  should  his  health  be  no  better. 
The  journey  to  Red  Lake  was  made,  and 
from  there,  at  intervals  through  the  sum- 
mer, came  letters,  filled  not  only  with  the 
good  news  of  returning  health,  but  with 
such  stories  of  life  there,  as  made  Harry 
quite  wild  to  try  it.  They  were  all  lone- 
sonic  letters  though,  and  at  last,  late  in 
the  fall,  came  the  one  in  which  he  asked 
mamma  to  join  him. 

You  know  how  it  was  received,  and  so 
it  will  not  surprise  you  to  hear  that, 
though  when  Harry  came  down  next 
morning,  he  found  their  going  to  be  a  set- 
tled thing,  still  grandma  and  the  aunties 
thought  it  very  dreadful  to  live  among 
Indians,  and  coaxed  mamma  in  every  way 
to  leave  Harry  with  them  while  she  was 
gone. 

Of  course  mamma  only  laughed,  and 
went  on  making  preparations  for  the  jour- 
ney. Papa  had  written  that  only  the 


8  WHITE   AND    RED. 

warmest  woollen  clothes  were  to  be  taken. 
Everything  fine  was  to  be  left  at  home, 
and  the  only  thought  to  be,  that  of  keep- 
ing comfortable.  It  was  already  the  first 
of  November,  and  Dr.  Prescott's  letter 
said  that  he  would  be  at  Milwaukie  by  the 
fifth,  and  wait  there  for  them.  So  the 
packing  went  on  swiftly,  and  when  Dr. 
Brown  came  in,  in  the  evening,  mamma 
sat  by  the  table  putting  some  warm 
"  ears  "  to  Harry's  cap,  while  Harry  him- 
self was  looking  over  a  pile  of  books,  and 
wondering  which  he  had  better  take,  as 
he  had  been  limited  to  three. 

u  Only  think  of  it ! "  he  said,  looking  up. 
"We're  going  to-morrow  afternoon  in  a 
sleeping  car,  so  I  can  lie  down,  and  the 
next  morning  we  shall  be  where  the  boat 
is." 

u  Where  is  that  ?  "  said  the  Doctor. 

"  Ogdensburg."  mamma  answered.  "  Fa- 
ther bought  our  tickets  to-day,  and  we 
can  easily  be  ready  to-morrow  " 

"  Going  alone  ?  " 

"  I  suppose  so,"  mamma  went  on.  "  'Tis 
only  a  night's  ride,  with  nothing  to  do 
when  we  get  to  Ogdensburg,  but  go  on 
board  the  boat,  and  I  have  had  to  go 
about  alone  so  much,  that  I  do  not  dread 
it  in  the  least,  except  for  Harry." 


WHITE   AND    RED.  9 

"I'll  be  at  the  cars  to-morrow,  and  see 
you  off,"  said  the  Doctor. 

"  Goody ! "  said  Harry,  who  was  very 
intimate  with  him.  "  I  wish  you  were  go- 
ing all  the  way.  Uncle  Charley  wanted 
to  go  with  us,  but  he  can't,  and  grandpa 
can't  either,  only  to  the  depot." 

"  You'll  need  a  doctor  before  you  get 
to  Milwaukie,"  said  grandma,  shaking  her 
head,  "  and  those  lake  boats  are  always 
blowing  up  or  sinking." 

"  We'll  write  and  tell  you,  the  minute 
this  one  does,"  said  Harry;  at  which  every 
one  laughed,  he  could  not  exactly  see  why. 

Grandma  felt  better  after  the  laugh, 
and  the  evening  passed  away  quietly,  as 
if  it  were  not  the  last  together  for  many 
long  months.  The  next  day,  too,  went 
swiftly  by.  There  was  so  many  last 
things  to  do,  with  all  of  them.  Harry 
made  two  or  three  calls  on  some  special 
friends,  and  I  am  afraid  to  tell  half  the 
things  he  promised  to  bring  each  one 
from  the  Indian  country. 

Half-past  four  came  at  last,  the  carriage 
was  at  the  door;  the  great  trunk  strap- 
ped behind,  grandpa  on  the  box  with  the 
coachman ;  and  mamma  and  Harry,  and 
grandma  and  Aunt  Fanny  inside.  Uncle 
Charley  put  a  travelling-bag  in  Harry's 


10  WHITE   AND    RED. 

hand,  and  told  him  he  had  better  not 
open  the  bundles  in  it  till  next  day,  when 
they  were  on  the  boat,  and  then  the  whip 
snapped,  and  they  rolled  off  through  the 
crooked  streets  to  the  depot.  Grandpa 
found  them  nice  seats  in  the  sleeping 
car,  after  some  trouble,  and  then  came 
the  good-bys,  when  even  Harry,  who 
wanted  to  be  very  manly,  cried  a  little, 
and  began  to  think  how  he  should  miss 
them  all.  The  whistle  sounded,  the  con- 
ductor shouted,  "  All  aboard  ! "  Grandpa 
and  the  rest  hurried  out,  and  Harry,  look- 
ing from  the  window  for  a  last  glimpse, 
saw  Dr.  Brown,  with  a  satchel  in  his  hand, 
swing  himself  to  the  platform  of  one  of 
the  cars  as  they  moved  out  of  the  depOt. 

u  Why,  mamma  I "  was  all  he  had  time 
to  say,  for  the  car  door  opened,  and 
mamma,  looking  up,  was  quite  as  much 
astonished  as  he 

u  You  surely  do  not  think  of  going  all 
the  way  to  Ogdensburg,"  she  said,  as  the 
Doctor  sat  gravely  down,  and  put  his  bag 
by  the  other  two. 

"I  don't  know  why  not,"  he  said.  "I 
wanted  a  little  change,  and  this  is  the  best 
opportunity  I  have  had  for  a  long  time. 
What  have  you  there  ?  You  are  not  to 
read  in  this  light" 


WHITE  AND   RED.  11 

Mamma  knew  it  was  altogether  on  Har- 
ry's account  that  he  had  come ;  but  she 
knew,  too,  that  nothing  must  be  said 
about  it,  for  this  was  Dr.  Brown's  way. 
So  she  only  sat  comfortably  back,  feeling 
that  here  was  somebody  to  take  all  re- 
sponsibility, and  Harry  talked  for  a  while, 
and  looked  from  the  window  till  his  eyes' 
were  tired,  and  then  leaned  his  head  on 
mamma's  shoulder.  This  was  joggly  rest, 
though,  and  soon  Dr.  Brown,  who  had  been 
watching  him,  went  out,  coming  back 
directly  with  a  boy,  who  said, —  "The 
other  side  of  the  car,  if  you  please." 

Harry  watched  with  great  interest,  after 
they  had  changed  to  the  opposite  side, 
while  the  boy  pulled  their  two  seats 
toward  each  other,  till  all  at  once  they 
met,  and  were  a  bed.  Then,  from  some 
place  overhead,  he  pulled  pillows  and 
blankets,  and  a  thin  mattress,  and  in  a 
very  few  minutes  had  quite  a  comfortable 
bed  ready,  on  which  Harry  was  glad 
enough  to  lie  down.  Mamma  put  some 
bay  water  on  his  forehead,  and  brushed  his 
nair,  and  soon  he  was  sound  asleep. 

"  Better  than  I  expected,"  said  the  Doc- 
tor. "The  roughest  place  is  between 
Rouse's  Point  and  Ogdensburg,  and  he 
may  get  through  well  with  that,  though 
I'm  doubtful." 


12  WHITE  AND   RED. 

Harry  slept  on  quietly,  and  in  another 
hour  or  so  Dr.  Brown  took  a  berth  op- 
posite, charging  mamma  to  speak  at  once, 
should  Harry  wake  up  sick.  Mamma  was 
tired  herself,  and  glad  to  lie  down,  and 
though  Harry  did  wake  once  or  twice, 
and  for  a  moment  could  not  tell  where 
"he  was,  and  held  her  hand  tight,  he  went 
sound  asleep  again,  and  could  hardly  be- 
lieve the  night  had  gone,  when  he  opened 
his  eyes,  and  saw  the  sun  shining,  and 
mamma  sitting  on  the  edge  of  the  bed. 

They  went  together  into  a  little  room 
at  the  end  of  the  car,  where  they  found 
water  and  a  looking-glass.  Mamma  had 
a  towel  in  her  bag,  and  after  their  faces 
were  washed,  and  hair  brushed,  they  went 
back  to  their  place.  Dr.  Brown  had  just 
crawled  down,  declaring  the  pillow  had 
got  into  his  ear,  and  that  he  had  had  to 
put  his  feet  in  his  pocket  to  keep  them 
warm,  and  Harry  showed  him  where  the 
little  room  was.  When  he  came  back  the 
boy  was  there,  making  the  bed  into  seats 
again,  and  Harry  walked  down  the  aisle 
with  him,  watching  the  way  it  was  done. 
The  whistle  sounded,  and  he  went  back  to 
find  out  what  place  they  were  coming  to. 

"  Georgia  was  the  last,"  said  the  Doctor, 
looking  at  his  guide-book,  "so  this  must 


WHITE   AND    RED.  13 

be  St.  Albans,  where  they  have  the  finest 
depot  east  of  Chicago.  We  stop  there  for 
breakfast,  so  you  will  see  a  little  of  it. 

"  Twenty  minutes  for  breakfast ! "  the 
conductor  shouted,  as  the  train  rolled  into 
an  immense  building,  arched  overhead ; 
half  a  dozen  tracks  running  through  the 
centre,  and  doors  opening  on  all  sides. ' 
The  Doctor  hurried  them  through  the 
large,  cheerful  ladies'  room,  into  a  still 
larger,  more  cheerful  one,  with  a  long 
counter  of  Vermont  marble  at  one  end, 
and  white  covered  tables  at  intervals.  In 
two  minutes  more,  breakfast  was  before 
them  ;  golden  butter,  such  as  it  is  hard  to 
find  out  of  New  England  ;  beefsteak  and 
coffee,  and  more  good  things  than  it  is 
worth  while  to  write  about  here. 

Harry  had  a  great  goblet  of  milk,  almost 
cream,  and  then  another,  and  ate  beefsteak 
and  brown  bread  till  he  wanted  no  more, 
looking  now  and  then  around  the  beautiful 
room,  paneled  in  black  ash  and  walnut,  like 
all  the  rooms  they  had  come  through,  and 
filled  now  with  a  hungry  crowd,  quite  as 
busy  as  they  were. 

Harry  would  have  liked  to  buy  some  of 
the  nice  looking  cake  on  the  counter,  but 
mamma  said  they  were  to  have  dinner  on 
board  the  boat,  and  anything  sweet  might 


14  WHITE  AND   RED. 

make  his  head  ache,  so  he  bought  a  red 
apple  instead.  The  Doctor  made  a  flying 
call  up-stairs  after  he  had  seated  them  in 
the  cars  again,  and  said  it  was  the  most 
perfect  depot  he  had  ever  seen,  and  he 
should  have  liked  to  take  them  all  over  it. 

To  Rouse's  Point  seemed  only  a  short 
time.  They  looked  from  the  windows  at 
the  long  meadows,  where  the  cattle  feed  in 
spring  and  summer,  but  which  lay  now 
bare  and  gray,  between  the  miles  of  fen- 
cing. All  about  St.  Albans  is  dairy  country, 
and  many  hundred  thousand  pounds  of 
butter  and  cheese  are  sent  out  yearly  from 
there.  Harry  had  a  long  talk  about  but- 
ter-making there  and  in  England,  and  in- 
deed, everywhere,  for  the  Doctor  seemed 
to  know  the  different  ways  of  doing  it  all 
over  the  world.  Harry  was  just  thinking 
what  a  taste  butter  must  have  after  being 
shaken  in  a  goat-skin  for  an  hour  or  two, 
when  the  train  stopped  at  Rouse's  Point. 
Here  was  a  great  steamboat,  and  Harry 
thought  at  first  it  was  the  one  they  were 
to  take,  but  the  Doctor  said, "  No,  this  was 
to  go  down  Lake  Champlain, "  and  led 
them  across  some  tracks  to  a  train,  which 
stood  waiting,  and  moved  off  almost  before 
they  had  time  to  get  seated. 

It  was  a  long  train,  and   all   the   cars 


WHITE   AND   RED.  15 

seemed  filled  with  people  going  west  by 
the  Grand  Trunk  Railroad,  which  takes 
one  through  Canada.  The  conductor  was 
a  very  fat,  very  gruff  man,  in  uniform, 
with  a  gilt  band  around  his  cap.  The 
seats  were  uncomfortable,  and  though 
they  went  very  slowly,  or  at  least  it 
seemed  slow,  after  the  swift  travelling  of 
the  train  they  had  left,  still  they  jounced 
and  rattled  in  such  a  way,  that  Harry's 
head  was  very  soon  throbbing  with  pain, 
and  he  lay  in  mamma's  lap  with  such  a  pale 
face,  that  an  old  lady  in  the  next  seat  of- 
fered peppermint  drops  and  camphor,  and 
s^id,  such  a  sick  looking  child  as  that 
ought  to  stay  at  home. 

They  rode  till  nearly  noon,  when  they 
reached  Ogdenshurg;  poor  Harry  could 
hardly  lift  his  head,  and  mamma  was  glad 
indeed  that  Dr.  Brown's  strong  arms  could 
carry  him  to  the  propeller  close  by,  and 
lay  him  in  the  berth,  in  their  fresh,  clean 
little  state-room.  After  an  hour  or  two, 
he  began  to  feel  better,  and  then  Dr. 
Brown  took  him  out  to  the  deck,  and  left 
him  with  mamma,  while  he  went  for  the 
Captain,  who  had  just  come  on  board,  and 
whom,  they  found,  he  knew  very  well. 
Captain  Davis  was  his  name,  and  he  knew 
papa,  who  had,  he  said,  been  very  kind  to 


16  WHITE    AND  RED. 

him,  when  he  was  sick  in  Beaufort,  three 
years  before.  He  was  a  short  man,  with 
bright,  pleasant  eyes,  and  a  quick,  ener- 
getic way,  and  Harry  and  mamma  both 
thought  they  should  like  him  very  much. 
He  went  away  in  a  few  moments,  and  then 
Dr.  Brown  said  it  was  almost  time  for  him 
to  go.  He  meant  to  go  back  to  Rouse's 
Point  in  the  one  o'clock  train ;  sail  down 
Lake  Champlain,  from  there  to  Burlington, 
that  he  might  have  a  look  at  Camel's 
Hump,  Mount  Mansfield,  and  the  Adiron- 
dacks,  and  from  there  take  cars  to  Boston. 

Mamma  tried  to  thank  him  for  the  care 
he  had  taken  of  Harry,  but  he  said, — 
"  Not  a  word,  not  a  word.  I've  had  a  very 
good  time,  and  the  best  breakfast  I've 
eaten  for  years." 

Then  he  shook  hands  with  mamma,  and 
patted  Harry,  who  threw  his  arms  around 
his  neck,  and  hugged  him  tight.  Dr. 
Brown,  taken  by  surprise,  hugged  back 
again,  and  then  went  away,  leaving  a  small 
package  in  mamma's  lap.  A  train  came 
whistling  along.  Larry  watched,  till  he 
saw  Dr.  Brown  get  in,  waving  his  hand  to 
them  as  he  stepped  on  the  platform ;  then, 
another  whistle,  a  puff  of  steam  from  the 
great  engine,  and  t'ie  Doctor,  was  on  his 
way  home  to  Bosto  i.  Harry  looked  up  to 
see  mamma's  eyes  lull  of  tears. 


WHITE  AND   RED.  17 

Are  you  sorry  now  you  are  going  ? " 
he  said. 

"  No  indeed/'  she  answered,  "  for  very 
soon  we  shall  be  with  papa.  I  was  only 
sorry  to  say  good-by  to  so  dear  a  friend. 
He  can  tell  grandma,  though,  how  well 
you  bore  last  night's  ride,  and  what  a  nice 
boat  we  are  in,  and  that  will  make  her 
glad. 

"  I  guess  it  will,"  said  Harry,  taking  up 
the  package.  "  Why,  mamma,  this  is  for  me. 
See,  here's  my  name.  It  feels  like  a  book.". 

Harry  untied  the  string,  and  pulled  off 
the  paper. 

"  It  is  a  book,"  he  said,  and  the  very  one 
r  wanted.  'Swiss  Family  Robinson/  and 
my  name  in  it  too !  Is  n't  he  nice  ?  Now 
I  shall  have  something  to  read  all  the  way." 

"  You  a  little,  and  I  a  good  deal,"  mamma 
said.  "  That  is  the  dinner-bell  you  hear. 
Are  you  hungry  ?  " 

"  Some,"  Harry  said,  putting  the  paper 
around  the  book  again,  and  they  went  into 
the  cabin.  The  Captain  gave  Mrs.  Pres- 
cott  a  seat  by  him,  but  was  called  away 
before  he  had  finished  his  soup.  Harry 
looked  around  the  table.  On  the  opposite 
side  were  a  long  line  of  men,  next  to  him 
several  ladies ;  and  looking  down  toward 

the  end,  he  saw  two  children,  and   won- 
2 


18  •  WHITE  AND   RED. 

dered  if  they  were  nice  to  play  with. 
After  dinner  he  went  into  the  state-room, 
and,  for  the  first  time  since  his  head  had 
begun  to  ache,  thought  of  the  bag  Uncle 
Charley  had  given  him. 

Mamma  said  he  would  enjoy  looking 
over  the  packages  more  after  the  boat  had 
started,  she  thought,  though  he  could  do 
as  he  liked. 

"  Can  we  take  a  little  walk  ?  "  Harry 
asked ;  "  because,  if  we  can,  I'll  wait." 

"  Yes,"  mamma  said.  "  The  boat  will  not 
start  before  five." 

So  Harry  hung  the  bag  up  again,  giving 
a  pinch  or  two,  as  if  that  would  tell  what 
was  in  it,  and  then  started  out  with  mamma. 
Over  the  railing  two  children  were  leaning, 
looking  down  into  the  water;  a  boy  just 
about  Harry's  age,  but  tanned  and  sturdy, 
and  a  little  girl,  sunburned  too,  and  with 
bright  brown  .  eyes,  who  smiled  as  they 
went  by. 

"Would  you  like  to  come  too?"  Mrs. 
Prescott  said. 

The  little  girl  ran  in,  coming  out  in  a 
moment  with  a  tall,  pleasant-looking  wom- 
an, who,  as  she  saw  Mrs.  Prescott,  said,  — 
"I'm  afraid  they,, will  trouble  you." 

"  Not  at  all,"  Mrs.  Prescott  said,  and  the 
children,  who  were  looking  shyly  at  Harry, 


WHITE   AXD    RED.  19 

went  down  the  narrow  little  stairs,  right 
under  the  wheel-house,  and  picked  their 
way  through  boxes  and  barrels,  to  the 
plank.  The  sun  shone  warm  and  pleas- 
ant, though  it  was  November,  and  they 
walked  nearly  a  mile  up  the  river,  talking 
faster  and  faster  as  the  shyness  wore  off} 
and  they  grew  better  acquainted.  Mrs. 
Prescott  liked  them  both,  and  was  glad 
Harry  should  have  two  such  healthy,  hearty 
companions  even  for  a  few  days. 

"  My  name's  Tom,"  said  the  boy,  as 
they  turned  again  toward  the  boat. 
"What's  yours?" 

"  Mine's  Harry  Prescott,"  said  Harry, 
locking  at  the  little  girl.  "  Yours  is  Clara, 
isn't  it  ?  'I  heard  your  brother  call  you 
tliat." 

"Yes,  it's  Clara."  she  said,  laughing. 
"  Our  other  name's  Twitchell.  'Tisn't  a 
bit  pretty  name,  like  yours." 

"  It's  good  enough,"  Harry  said.  "  I 
guess  we  shall  have  a  real  good  time,  all 
of  us." 

"Yes,  if  you're  not  sick,"  said  Tom; 
"  you'll  be  dreadful  sick  when  you  get  out 
on  the  Lakes." 

"I  went  way  down  South  once  in  a 
steamboat,"  said  Harry,  "and  wasn't  sick 
a  bit ; "  and  hearing  this,  Tom  asked  so 


20  WHITE   AND    RED. 

many  questions,  that  they  were  at  the 
boat  again  before  the  talk  was  half  through. 
The  two  children  sitting  in  the  cabin, 
seemed  surprised  when  the  other  three 
came  laughing  in.  Harry  looked  at  them 
a  moment,  thinking  they  had  not  as  good- 
natured  faces  as  Tom  and  Clara,  and  then 
went  into  the  state-room  with  mamma,  this 
time  really  to  find  out  what  was  in  the 
bag.  Mamma  sat  down  on  the  edge  of  the 
berth,  while  Harry  pulled  out  one  package 
after  another,  each  marked  with  the  name 
of  the  giver. 

There  was  something  from  each  one 
at  home  ;  grandma's  gift  was  a  box  of 
dominoes,  which  Harry  thought  he  should 
use  that  very  evening.  Then  came  two 
or  three  puzzles ;  queer-shaped  bits  of 
paper,  which,  when  put  together,  made  a 
picture,  — -  one,  of  a  monkey  sitting  on  a 
barrel ;  another,  a  boy  fishing. 

"  From  Uncle  Charley,"  was  on  a  little 
box,  which,  when  opened,  showed  a  Craig 
microscope,  a  thing  Harry  had  wanted  a 
long  time,  and  which  so  delighted  him  he 
could  hardly  wait  to  look  at  the  other 
bundles.  One  held  "Holiday  House,",  a 
nice  story  some  of  you  have  read,  I  dare 
say ;  and  the  very  last  was  a  box  of  can- 
died fruit.  The  bag  itself  was  not  a  com- 


WHITE   AND    RED.  21 

mon  bag,  for  one  side  was  a  complete 
dressing-case,  filled  with  brush  and  comb, 
tooth  and  nail  brushes,  an  oil-silk  pocket 
for  soap  and  sponge,  and  a  small  glass, 
which  slipped  'into  a  place  of  its  own. 
Harry  drew  a  long  breath  as  he  finished 
the  search,  finding,  at  the  very  last,  some 
pencils  and  pieces  of  drawing-paper  in 
another  pocket. 

"  I  should  think  it  was  Christmas,"  he 
said.  "  I  wish  I  could  thank  them  all." 

"  You  can  in  a  little  letter,"  said  mamma. 
"  These  are  Christmas  gifts  coming  before 
Christmas,  because  then  you  wiU  be  away 
from  home.  You  can  write  a  letter  to-mor- 
ro>v,  if  you  like,  and  mail  it  when  we  stop 
at  Oswego." 

"  Perhaps  I  will,"  said  Harry.  "  They're 
pulling  ropes !  They're  going  to  start. 
Let's  go  out  on  deck,  mamma." 

Harry  ran  out,  followed  more  slowly  by 
mamma,  to  find  Clara  and  Tom  there  be- 
fore him.  There  was  no  wide  deck  where 
passengers  could  sit;  only  a  small  open 
space  at  one  end,  where  heavy  coils  of 
rope  lay,  and  where  the  Captain  or  mate 
stood  when  giving  orders.  A  narrow  way, 
hardly  more  than  three  feet  wide,  ran 
around  the  boat,  and  here  at  any  mo- 
ment one  was  liable  to  be  tripped  by 


22  WHITE   AND   RED. 

ropes,  which  seemed  to  come  from  every- 
where, and  end  nowhere.  Harry  thought 
it  too  bad  that  there  was  no  more  room 
outside,  but  you  will  see  by  and  by  why 
it  had  to  be  so. 

The  men  were  running  through  this 
narrow  passage-way,  and  Mrs.  Prescott 
drew  the  children  into  the  door-way, 
where  they  could  still  see,  and  stood  there, 
till  the  boat,  after  a  few  more  whistles, 
much  shouting  and  running,  and  some 
hard  bumps  against  the  wharf,  steamed  off 
down  the  St.  Lawrence. 

It  was  almost  six  o'clock.  The  sun  had 
set,  and  night  was  fast  coming  on..  It  was 
chilly,  too,  and  Harry  and  mamma  both 
were  not  sorry  to  hear  the  tea-bell  ring. 
The  Captain  was  not  at  the  table,  which 
was  almost  filled,  more  people  having 
come  on  board  since  dinner-time.  The 
four  children  were  not  there.  They  sat 
at  the  end  of  the  cabin,  but  seemed  to 
have  very  little  to  say  to  each  other. 
Hurry  went  to  them  when  he  had  finished 
supper. 

"  Why  didn't  you  come  ? "  he  said. 
"  There  was  plenty  of  room." 

"That's  why,"  said  Tom,  pointing  to 
some  "  Ruks  for  Passengers"  framed,  and 
hanging  close  by;  and  then  reading, 


WHITE   AND    RED.  23 

"'Children  not  allowed  at  the  first  table' 
Mother  read  that,  and  said  we  must  wait." 

"I  suppose  you  think  you're  great 
things,"  said  the  oldest  of  the  other  two 
children,  a  boy  about  twelve.  "I  don't 
see  what  business  you  have  at  the  first 
table  any  more'n  the  rest  of  us." 

"  Look  here,  mamma,"  said  Harry,  pay- 
ing no  attention  to  the  boy.  "  See  what  it 
says  about  children.  I  can't  go  to  the 
table  any  more  with  you." 

"  Perhaps  you  can,"  said  mamma.  "  The 
rule  hardly  seems  necessary  on  so  small  a 
boat.  There  is  room  enough  at  the  first 
table,  and  it  is  better  for  children  to  be 
with  their  fathers  and  mothers  than  to  eat 
alone." 

"  1  think  so  too,"  said  Mrs.  Twichell,  who 
had  just  come  up  to  them.  "  For  my 
part,  1  had  rather  wait  with  them,  than 
have  them  go  alone.  I  don't  see  the  use 
of  .such  a  rule,  unless  perhaps  in. summer, 
when  the  boats  are  crowded." 

"  There's  no  sense  in  rules  for  passen- 
gers, anyhow,"  said  a  loud-voiced  woman 
'  behind  them.  "  Folks  that  pay,  have  the 
right  to  do  as  they're  a  mind  to.  My 
Clarence  and  'Melia  are  going  to  the  table 
to-morrow,  rule  or  no  rule.  If  your  boy 
goes,  I  calculate  mine  has  as  good  a 
right." 


24  WHITE   AND    RED. 

Mrs.  Prescott  had  stepped  into  her  state- 
room and  so  lost  this  remark.  Harry  fol- 
lowed to  get  his  bag,  which  he  wanted  to 
show  to  the  Twitchell  children ;  and  all 
of  them  sat  down,  after  a  time  on  a  sofa, 
and  looked  at  everything.  "Clarence 
and  'Melia  "  came  too,  but  snatched  and 
pulled  in  such  a  way,  that  Harry,  who  was 
very  careful  of  his  things,  finally  put  them 
back  in  the  bag,  leaving  out  only  the  box 
of  dominoes,  with  which  they  played  two 
or  three  games. 

It  was  soon  bed-time.  Harry  stood  up 
on  the  stool  in  their  state-room  after  he 
had  said  good-night,  and  tried  to  see  some 
of  the  thousand  islands  through  which 
they  were  passing.  It  was  too  dark, 
though,  and  he  could  but  just  see  the  dim 
outlines  of  trees  as  they  passed  by.  Mam- 
ma helped  him  climb  to  the  top  berth 
after  he  had  said  his  evening  prayer,  and 
very  soon  he  was  sound  asleep,  while  the 
boat  went  steadily  on,  nearer  and  nearer 
to  the  waters  of  the  first  great  lake,  —  On- 
tario. 

When  morning  came,  a  high  wind  was 
blowing;  the  boat  rolled  and  creaked,  and 
Harry,  looking  from  the  window,  saw  only 
the  faintest  line  of  land  in  the  distance. 
He  wondered,  as  he  dressed,  that  his  head 


WHITE   AND    RED.  25 

should  swim,  and  his  legs  feel  as  if  they 
did  not  belong  to  him. 

"  After  I've  been  on  the  real  sea,  I 
couldn't  be  sea-sick  here ;  could  I,  mam- 
ma?" he  said. 

"  I  think  you  are  sea-sick  now,  just  a 
little,"  she  said.  "  Lie  down  while  I  dress, 
and  then  we  will  go  on  deck." 

Hardly  any  one  was  in  the  cabin  as 
they  went  through.  Harry  could  but  just 
keep  his  feet,  and  outside  it  was  still 
worse.  Captain  Davis  came  to  meet 
them,  and  laughed  as  he  saw  Harry  stag- 
ger. 

"  This  is  only  the  beginning,"  he  said. 
"It's  breezy  now,  we  shall  have  wind 
pretty  soon." 

"  I  thought  we  were  having  it  now," 
Harry  said,  looking  at  the  sail,  against 
which  the  wind  seemed  really  to  pound, 
for  a  hollow  sound,  like  a  .drum,  came 
from  it.  "  I  didn't  know  anybody  could 
be  sea-sick  on  a  lake  ;  but  this  boat  jerks 
so." 

"  That  is  because  we  are  in  what  sailors 
call  a  '  chopping  sea,' "  said  Captain  Davis, 
"  which  is  worse  than  a  long /oiling  wave. 
Over  that  you  can  ride  easily,  but  these 
short  waves  play  the  mischief  with  even 
good  sailors.  I've  been  sea-sick  myself 


26  WHITE   AND    RED. 

on  Lake  Michigan.  Keep  in  the  air  all 
you  can." 

"  I  would,  if  there  wasn't  so  much,"  said 
Harry.  "But  —  mamma  —  I  guess  —  I 
must "  — 

Poor  Harry !  He  had  to  lean  over  the 
railing  just  then,  and  looked  so  like 
u  green  and  yellow  melancholy,"  when  he 
lilted  his  head  again,  that  mamma  had  not 
the  heart  to  laugh  at  him.  The  breakfast- 
bell  rang,  but  even  the  thought  of  break- 
fast was  dreadful.  Mamma  led  him  in, 
catching  at  chairs  and  tables  to  keep  from 
falling,  and  he  lay  down,  finding  it  no  use 
to  try  and  sit  up.  So  the  day  went  on. 
Mamma  read  to  him  now  and  then,  and  at 
noon  brought  him  some  soup,  which  he 
could  not  taste.  There  was  an  hour's  rest 
at  Oswego,  which  Harry  improved  by  eat- 
ing  his  apple  and  some  bread  and  butter ; 
for  the  strange  part  of  sea-sickness  is,  that 
if  the  boat  stops,  one  is  just  as  well  as 
ever.  Trouble  began  again  with  starting, 
and  as  the  rolling,  and  creaking,  and  blow- 
ing went  on,  even  mamma  felt  uncomforta- 
ble, and  was  glad  to  think  that  this  would 
not  last  all  night. 


WHITE   AND   RED.  27 


CHAPTER  II. 

*  HARRY  tossed  and  tumbled  through  the 
night  till  one  or  two  o'clock,  when  the  mo- 
tion suddenly  lessened,  and  in  a  few  mo- 
ments they  were  going  on  quietly,  though 
the  wind  blew  furiously.  He  was  too 
sleepy  even  to  wonder ;  but  when  morn- 
ing came,  looked  out  at  once  on  awaking, 
to  see  what  it  could  mean. 

"  We're  in  a  river ;  we're  not  in  a  lake 
any  longer,"  he  called  to  mamma.  "  What 
is  it?" 

"  The  Welland  River,"  she  said,  "  where 
we  have  been  stopping  for  the  last  two  or 
three  hours.  We  are  going  now  into  the 
Welland  Canal,  and  we  shall  be  a  long  time 
in  getting  through,  though  it  is  very  short." 

"  Why,"  Harry  asked. 

"Because  there  are  so  many  locks; 
twenty-seven  in  all,  in  a  distance  of  thirty- 
six  miles,  and  some  of  them  only  a  stone's 
throw  apart." 

Harry  dressed  quickly  and  went  on  deck, 
as  the  boat  entered  a  lock,  the  great  gates 
of  which  were  just  shutting  behind  it, 


28  WHITE   AND    RED. 

while  in  front  was  a  high  wall  of  stone. 
Harry,  who  had  never  been  in  a  lock  be- 
fore, looked  in  wonder,  as  the  water  pour- 
ing in,  gradually  lifted  them,  till  another 
pair  of  gates  in  front  swung  open,  and  they 
passed  out,  to  enter  another  set  in  a  few 
moments.  The  boat  seemed  to  fit  tight 
in  the  lock  they  had  just  left,  and  he  won- 
dered at  their  getting  through  at  all.  The 
next  was  wider,  but  still  it  was  very  easy 
to  see  why  the  boat  must  be  narrow. 

"  It  feels  like  being  in  a  well ;  and  it's 
like  going  up-stairs  too,  isn't  it?"  Harry 
said  to  Captain  Davis,  who  stood  njsar. 

"  Yes,"  said  the  Captain,  "  and  a  long 
flight  too.  When  we  get  to  Port  Colburn 
where  we  go  into  Lake  Erie,  we  shall  be 
three  hundred  and  forty-six  feet  higher 
than  we  were  at  Port  Dalhousie,  when  we 
left  Lake  Ontario.  You  can  get  out  to-day 
and  have  a  walk,  if  you  like." 

"  Can  we  ?  "  said  mamma,  who  had  just 
come  out.  «  How  ?  " 

"  This  way,"  said  the  Captain,  stepping 
to  the  railing  around  the  boat,  which  was 
now  on  a  level  with  the  wall  of  the  lock, 
and  off  and  on  again  in  a  moment.  "  You 
see  it  is  very  easy,  and  we  go  so  slowly, 
you  can  keep  ahead  of  us  without  trouble." 

"  See,  what  a  big  ship,"  said  Harry,  look- 


WHITE   AND    RED.  29 

ing  over  the  side  of  the  boat,  at  a  large 
brig  they  were  passing.  "  There's  ever  so 
many  ahead." 

"  Work  then  for  us,"  said  the  Captain, 
"for  two  or  three  are  aground,  waiting  for 
us  to  pull  them  off. " 

"  Torn  and  Clara  came  out  as  he  walked 
away,  and  were  as  interested  as*  Harry  in 
watching  the  ships.  Breakfast  interrupt- 
ed them  for  a  little  while ;  and  then  till 
dinner-time  they  stayed  on  deck,  going 
only  three  or  four  miles.  The  two  vessels 
aground  were  heavily  laden,  and  the  pro- 
peller pulled  and  backed,  and  whistled  and 
cracked,  and  strained  the  great  ropes,  till 
Harry  was  sure  they  would  crack.  One 
brig  got  off,  and  then  they  went  through 
another  lock  before  reaching  the  next  one, 
which  was  harder  to  manage  than  the  first. 
Then,  when  this  was  done,  they  had  to 
wait  for  a  vessel  to  come  through  a  lock 
and  make  room  for  them,  watching  as  it 
entered,  at  first  far  above  them ;  then  set- 
tling down,  down,  till  the  great  gates 
opened,  and  she  slid  through. 

After  dinner,  mamma  and  he,  with  Tom 
and  Clara,  got  out  at  one  of  the  locks,  and 
walked  on  for  a  mile  or  two,  till  Harry  was 
tired,  and  went  into  a  little  store  to  rest. 
Here  he  bought  some  apples,  and  the  clerk 


30     '  WHITE   AND    RED. 

gave  him  two  Canada  pennies  for  change, 
which  he  wrapped  in  a  piece  of  paper,  and 
decided  to  keep,  as  they  were  the  first 
foreign  money  he  had  ever  had.  Here 
they  waited  two  or  three  hours,  watching 
some  ships  go  through  the  lock,  and  won- 
dering why  their  boat  did  not  come.  They 
walked  back  a  little  way,  but  Mrs.  Prescott 
said  it  was  better  not  to  go  farther ;  be- 
cause if  they  should  meet  the  boat  between 
the  locks,  there  would  be  no  way  of  get- 
ting on.  She  was  in  sight  as  they  turned, 
and  the  people  came  out  of  the  store  to 
see  them  get  on,  as  she  rose  in  the  lock. 

Harry  began  "Holiday  House"  in  the 
afternoon,  lending  "Swiss  Family  Robin- 
son "  to  Tom,  who  sat  down  in  a  corner  with 
Clara,  and  read  aloud.  Harry  listened  af- 
ter his  eyes  were  tired,  and  wished  they 
could  go  all  the  way  as  quietly. 

"  We  shah1  get  out  to-night,  after  all," 
the  Captain  said,  at  the  tea-table.  "I  did 
not  think  so,  when  I  saw  the  line  of  boats 
this  morning." 

"  How  long  .are  you,  generally,  in  going 
through  ?  "  mamma  asked. 

"  I  have  done  it  in  nine  hours  ;  but  that 
is  uncommon.  Anything  from  nine  hours 
to  a  day  and  a  half,  and  more." 

Harry's  eyes  opened  wide.  "  A  day  and 
a  half,"  he  said, «  and  only  thirty-six  miles!" 


WHITE   AND    RED.  31 

"  You  will  see  slower  travelling  than  that 
before  your  journey's  end,"  laughed  the 
Captain,  rising  from  the  table.  "  What  do 
you  think  of  six  miles  a  day  ?" 

"  Nothing  could  go  as  slow  as  that ;  not 
even  a  mud-turtle,"  said  Harry,  getting 
into  a  discussion  with  Tom  at  once,  as  to 
how  far  a  turtle  really  could  travel  in  a 
day,  which,  with  some  playing  of  dominoes, 
went  on  till  bed-time. 

In  a  pouring  rain  next  day,  they  went 
through  Lake  Erie  to  Cleveland,  reaching 
there  in  the  afternoon,  and  staying  till  late 
night ;  and  here  Harry  wrote  and  mailed 
a  little  letter  home.  Next  day  through  St. 
Clair,  a  mere  speck  of  a  lake,  to  Huron, 
and  here  began  a  wind,  which  blew  and 
blew,  till  Harry,  sea-sick  again,  hardly 
cared  what  became  of  them.  Great  waves 
dashed  over  the  boat,  which  rolled  from  side 
to  side.  People  with  pale  faces  crawled 
out  now  and  then,  holding  tight  to  the 
railing.  Things  in  the  steerage  seemed  to 
be  having  their  own  way  altogether,  and 
loose  pots  and  pans  went  bumpity-bump 
against  the  sides,  one  going  overboard,  and 
bobbing  up  and  down  in  the  waves  some 
time  before  it  sunk.  Through  the  Straits 
of  Mackinaw  it  was  tolerably  quiet.  Harry 
went  on  deck,  and  looked  through  the 


32  WHITE   AND    RED. 

Captain's  glass  at  the  trading  post  at  Mack- 
inaw  ;  but  as  they  entered  Lake  Michigan 
ijt  grew  worse  and  worse,  till  at  last,  late  in 
the  afternoon,  the  Captain  said  it  would  be 
unsafe  to  go  on  through  the  night,  and 
put  in  to  shore. 

Look  on  your  maps  at  the  northwestern 
shore  of  Michigan  and  you  will  see  a  point 
called  Sleeping  Bear.  Right  under  the 
nose  of  this  bear  they  went  into  harbor ; 
and  here  they  lay  two  days,  while  the  wind 
howled  down  the  pipes,  and  tugged  at  the 
ropes  which  held  them  to  the  pier,  and  al- 
together went  on  in  all  sorts  of  improper 
ways.  Half  a  mile  back  from  shore  were 
two  or  three  log-houses  ;  and  nearer  by,  a 
store,  owned  by  the  company  which  ran 
this  line  of  propellers.  They  called  it  Glen 
Harbor  City,  and  of  course  every  one  on 
board  visited  it,  for  time  hung  heavy  in  the 
two  days  of  waiting. 

The  pier  was  long,  and  almost  danger- 
ous for  the  children  to  cross,  for  the  wind 
swept  over  it  with  such  force,  as  almost  to 
carry  them  away.  Once  on  shore,  they 
plunged  into  deep,  white  sand,  which 
whirled  into  their  eyes  and  filled  their 
shoes,  and  was  in  every  way  uncomfortable. 
Harry  did  not  mind  it,  and  he  and  the  other 
children  dug  a  great  hole  in  the  sand,  and 


WHITE   AND    RED.  33 

played  they  were  in  a  fort.  He  found,  too, 
one  beautiful  cornelian ;  and  on  seeing  it, 
almost  every  one  on  board  went  out  in 
search  of  more,  and  scattered  along  the 
shore  for  a  mile  or  two.  All  the  neighbor- 
hood came  down  to  see  the  boats,  for  by 
this  time  two  or  three  more  had  corne  in 
to  escape  the  wind.  The  second  day, 
while  they  were  at  dinner,  a  tall  man  in  a 
red  shirt,  appeared  in  the  door  way. 

"  There's  goin  'ter  be  a  ball  ter-night,  an' 
any  of  you  that's  a  mind  ter,  can  come,"  he 
said,  looking  around,  and  then  went  away 
without  waiting  for  an  answer. 

"  Well,  ladies,"  the  Captain  said,  laugh- 
ing, "  I  am  at  your  service.  How  many 
shall  I  have  the  pleasure  of  escorting  ?  " 

"  Mamma  and  me,"  said  Harry,  at  which 
they  all  began  to  laugh,  and  the  engineer 
asked  whether  he  would  go  in  pink  silk  or 
white,  and  would  he  allow  him  the  pleasure 
of  the  first  waltz.  Mrs.  Twitchell  and  one 
or  two  others  said  they  would  go ;  and  so, 
when  seven  o'clock  struck,  quite  a  party 
went  on  shore.  Clara  said  she  had  read 
stones  about  balls,  and  wasn't  it  splendid 
to  think  they  were  really  going  to  one  ? 
Miss  'Melia  had  frizzed  her  hair,  on  a  pipe- 
handle,  heated  in  a  lamp,  till  Tom  said  she 
looked  like  a  walking  hornet's  nest,  and 


34  WHITE  AND    RED. 

Clarence  had  smoothed  his  down  with 
something  which  smelled  very  strong  of 
winter-green. 

The  house  at  which  the  ball  was  to  be 
was  a  log  one,  divided  into  two  rooms.  In 
one,  eight  or  nine  girls  sat  solemnly;  and 
in  another  were  the  men,  wood-choppers 
and  teamsters,  waiting  for  the  music.  The 
•  only  fiddler  in  the  country  lived  two  miles 
back,  and  had  not  got  there  yet.  The  chil- 
dren sat  down,  feeling,  in  the  dead  silence, 
a  good  deal  as  if  they  were  at  a  funeral. 
By  and  by  a  faint  squeak  was  heard  com- 
ing down  the  road.  It  grew  louder  and 
louder,  and  soon  an  immensely  tall  man 
came  in,  dressed  in  a  blue  shirt,  with  red 
braid  zigzagging  up  the  front. 

"  All  you  that  ain't  goin'  to  dance,  set 
tight  to  the  wall,"  he  shouted,  beginning 
"  Money  Musk." 

The  men  poured  in  from  the  next  room, 
seized  partners,  and  began  at  once  a  cotil- 
lon. No  walking  through  the  figures,  but 
a  double  shuffle  whenever  the  least  chance 
for  one  came  in ;  and  coming  down  on 
their  heels  at  the  end  of  each  figure  with 
a  rattle  and  clatter,  quite  delightful  to 
Harry.  Captain  Davis  took  a  partner 
when  a  second  dance  began  ;  a  fat  girl  in 
green  calico,  trimmed  with  alternate  rows 


WHITE   AND    RED.  35 

of  yellow  and  black  braid,  and  evidently 
the  belle,  for  two  or  three  came  up  to 
engage  her;  and  one  young  man  stood 
and  glowered  at  the  Captain  through  the 
dance,  and  led  her  away  as  soon  as  it  end- 
ed. The  refreshments  were  root  beer  and 
gingerbread ;  one  in  tin  cups,  the  other  in 
chunks. 

"  We  did  use  to  git  up  a  supper,''  said 
the  woman  to  whom  the  house  belonged. 
"But  you  see  we  don't  have  nothin'  but 
what  we  raise,  'cept  what  the  boats  brings 
along  in  summer  time ;  an'  in  the  winter 
we  git  down  to  hog  an'  hominy  mostly, 
unless  a  sled  maybe  goes  back  for  a  load 
o'  store  things,  an'  that  ain't  often.  It's 
stylisher,  they  do  say,  to  have  cake,  an'  a 
drink  o'  something  tasty;  an'  it's  handier, 
any  way." 

"Do  you  have  many  balls  in  the  win- 
ter ?  "  asked  Mrs.  Prescott. 

"  Two  a  week,  straight  through,"  the 
woman  said.  "  Them,  an'  a  meetin'  now 
and  then,  is  the  only  things  there  is  to  pass 
away  the  time  when  work's  done.  They 
have  'em  here,  mostly.  Ourn's  the  biggest 
house  round ;  and  that  short  young  man 
over  there,"  pointing  to  the  jealous  young 
man,  "  he's  got  a  horse  he  wouldn't  take 
a  thousand  dollars  for;  an'  he  rigs  up 


36  WHITE   AND   RED. 

a  sled  and  goes  after  'em.  That's  my  Cor- 
nely  he's  standin'  by.  They'll  be  jined 
afore  long.  She  got  the  pattern  for  that 
dress  o'  hern  out  o'  a  fashion-book.  It's 
tasty, ain't  it?" 

"  Quite  gay,"  Mrs.  Prescott  said,  wanting 
so  to  laugh  that  she  was  very  uncomfort- 
able, and  wondered  if  the  squaws  had 
fashion-books,  and  wore  trains.  The  mate 
came  in  just  then,  and  whispered  to  the 
Captain,  who  came  to  them  at  once. 

"  The  wind  has  changed,"  he  said,  "  and 
is  driving  us  on  shore.  We  must  start  to- 
night," and  he  hurried  them  away.  It  was 
not  easy  getting  on  board,  the  boat  rose 
and  fell  so,  grinding  against  the  heavy 
timbers  of  the  pier,  as  if  her  sides  would 
be  crushed  in.  But  they  were  safely  on 
board  at  last,  and  Harry  hurried  to  bed, 
knowing  that  more  sea-sickness  was  com- 
ing. He  was  not  mistaken ;  and  that 
night,  and  next  day,  it  was  hard  to  say 
which  felt  the  worse,  he  or  mamma.  All 
day  long  they  labored  through  Lake  Michi- 
gan. One  paddle  came  off  the  screw  ;  and 
as  another  had  been  lost  in  one  of  the 
locks,  they  went  very  slowly,  not  getting 
into  Milwaukie  till  ten  that  evening. 

It  was  the  twelfth  of  November,  and  Dr. 
Prescott  had  been  waiting  there  nearly  a 


WHITE   AND    RED.  37 

week,  watching  for  the  boat,  which  had  left 
Ogdensburg  the  third,  and  should  have  been 
but  five  days  in  getting  through.  You 
will  know  how  anxious  he  must  have  been 
at  the  delay,  and  how  glad  to  hear,  as  he 
started  down  to  the  docks  for  the  last  time 
that  night,  that  the  Akron  was  in.  Harry 
sat  up  as  soon  as  the  dreadful  motion 
ceased,  though  he  felt  weak  and  dizzy  ;  and 
mamma  put  on  her  things,  just  in  time  for 
papa,  who  hugged  them  both  so  hard,  and 
so  many  times,  that  it  was  doubtful  whether 
they  could  get  off  that  night.  There  was 
a  carriage  waiting  for  them ;  and  after 
they  had  said  good-by  to  Captain  Davis, 
they  went  to  a  hotel,  and  slept  deliciously 
till  morning. 

After  breakfast  they  went  through  some 
of  the  principal  streets  of  the  city,  taking 
cars  for  Prairie  Du  Chien  at  eleven,  and 
reaching  there  in  the  evening.  The  steam- 
boat which  they  expected  to  find  waiting, 
had  been  delayed,  so  there  was  another 
night  at  a  hotel,  and  a  walk  about  town 
next  morning,  while  waiting  for  the  boat. 
Harry  did  not  like  it  a  bit.  Pigs  ran  every- 
where through  the  streets,  as  they  do  in 
too  many  Western  towns,  and  the  prairie 
stretched  away  on  all  sides,  dull,  brown, 
and  gray. 


38  WHITE  AND   RED. 

The  Mississippi  was  another  disappoint- 
ment A  mud-colored  stream,  flowing 
swiftly  between  high  bluffs,  sandy,  and 
crumbling  away  on  either  side.  The  boat 
came  about  ten,  looking  to  Harry  like  a 
three-story  house  afloat.  The  lower  deck 
was  entirely  open,  and  the  freight  piled 
here,  the  cabin  being  up-stairs.  The 
smoke-stacks  were  taller  than  any  he  had 
ever  seen  before,  and  a  constant  shower  of 
cinders  fell  from  them.  The  cabin  ran  the 
whole  length  of  the  boat ;  a  bar  was  at  one 
end,  where  were  always  people  drinking, 
and  the  other  intended  for  ladies,  though 
neither  doors  nor  curtains  separated  it  from 
the  main  saloon,  where  the  long  table 
stood.  Their  state-room  was  at  the  ladies' 
end  of  the  boat,  opening  by  a  second  door, 
as  did  all  of  them,  on  a  gallery  running 
entirely  around  the  boat,  and  roofed,  to 
protect  it  from  the  cinders,  which  lay  in 
little  piles  wherever  they  could  find  lodg- 
ment. On  one  of  the  velvet  sofas  near 
their  door,  sat  an  old  woman  with  her  hus- 
band, both  smoking  short  black  pipes.  At 
dinner  they  sat  opposite,  and  near  them 
was  a  man  with  such  tightly  curling  hair 
and  dark  skin,  that  Harry  could  hardly  be- 
lieve him  white. 

There  was  nothing  really  good  to  eat  on 


WHITE   AND    RED.  39 

the  table,  but  everything  was  showy.  Lit- 
tle glass  dishes,  with  dabs  of  jelly ;  great 
glass  dishes,  with  pink  and  blue  frosted 
cakes,  and  pies  and  tarts  between. 

"  If  this  ain't  a  lay-out ! "  said  the  curly- 
headed  man.  "It's  sech  a  lay-out  as  I 
hain't  seen,  no,  not  for  eighteen  year." 

"Where  have  you  been?"  asked  Dr. 
Prescott,  at  whom  he  looked,  with  two  or 
three  little  nods,  as  if  expecting  an  an- 
swer. 

"Where  I  hain't  been  would  be  easier 
to  tell,"  he  answered.  "I've  been  where 
there  ain't  many  that  has :  down  in  Ari- 
zona, and  pretty  much  anywhere  you  like 
in  South  America.  Then  I  got  tired  rovin' 
round,  and  settled  down  to  my  trade  a 
spell,  blacksmithin',  in  Nicaragua.  I'm 
goin'  to  a  queerer  place  yet,  now.  Likely 
you  don't  know  nothin'  about  it  ?  Red 
Lake." 

"  I  left  there  a  month  or  so  ago,  and  am 
on  my  way  back  now." 

"  You !  "  said  the  curly-headed  man. 
"  I'm  beat !  Them  your  folks  alongside 
o'  you  ?  You  ain't  goin'  to  take  them 
through  ?  " 

"  Yes,"  said  Dr.  Prescott.  "  Are  you 
going  through  directly  ?  " 

"  No,  I  ain't,"  said  the  man.     "  I'm  goin' 


40  WHITE   AND    RED. 

through  some  time  the  last  o'  December. 
Goin'  to  trade  up  there  a  while.  Reckon 
you're  working  for  Government  —  Doctor, 
maybe  ? " 

"  Yes,"  said  Dr.  Prescott,  half  smiling ; 
"  so  we  shall  see  each  other  again." 

"  You  was  off  on  a  hunt  with  the  red 
skins,"  said  the  man,  "  when  I  was  up  last 
summer.  I'm  Bob  Aikens,  and  you're  Dr. 
Prescott,  I  take  it.  You  don't  have  a  lay- 
out like  this  up  to  Red  Lake  every  day,  I 
tell  you  now.'* 

Mr.  Aikens  stopped  talking  here,  and 
paid  strict  attention  to  every  article  of  the 
"  lay-out ;  "  so  strict,  that  he  was  not  half 
through  the  bill  of  fare  when  Harry  had 
finished  his  dinner.  He  joined  them  on 
deck  after  a  little  while,  and  talked  most 
to  Harry,  looking  at  Mrs.  Prescott  now 
and  then,  and  saying,  —  "  Well,  I'm  beat ! 
To  think  you're  going  through  ! " 

In  the  two  days'  journey  they  became 
well  acquainted.  He  was  as  thoroughly 
uneducated  as  a  man  could  well  be  ;  and 
yet,  having  watched  closely  everything  he 
had  seen  in  his  wanderings  through  strange 
countries,  was  more  entertaining  than  any 
one  else  on  board.  A  crowd  gathered 
about  him,  as  he  sat  talking  of  adventures 
here  and  there,  and  everywhere,  and  all 


WHITE   AND    RED.  41 

were  sorry  to  say  good-by  when  he  got  off 
at  Red  Wing,  shaking  hands  with  the 
Prescotts  as  heartily  as  if  he  had  known 
them  for  years.  You  will  hear  more  of 
him  as  the  story  \goes  on. 

The  morning  of  the  third  day  brought 
them  to  St.  Paul,  a  city  on  a  hill,  or  what 
seemed  a  hill,  after  the  prairie  all  about, 
and  the  last  point  on  the  Mississippi  to 
which  boats  run.  Sometimes  one  goes  up 
to  the  foot  of  St.  Anthony's  Falls,  between 
Minneapolis  and  St.  Anthony,  but  St.  Paul 
is  considered  the  head  of  navigation  on 
the  river.  Here  Harry  saw  a  crowd  of 
stern- wheelers,  or  "  dew  boats,"  as  they  are 
called,  which  are  of  such  light  draught, 
that  'tis  said  they  will  run  in  three  inches 
of  water,  and  which  have  only  one  small 
wheel  at  the  stern.  Just  below  the  city 
they  passed  the  longest  raft  they  had  seen, 
though  several  had  been  met  on  their  way 
down,  some  large  and  some  small. 

This  one  was  entirely  of  boards,  and 
laden  with  thousands  of  shingles  in  neat 
bundles.  In  the  middle  was  a  sort  of 
house,  made  of  some  of  these  boards  ;  a 
woman  sat  in  the  door,  knitting,  and  two 
children  were  by  her.  Three  men  were 
at  each  end,  all  working  at  long  oars, 
which  seemed  to  be  pieces  of  timber. 


42  WHITE  AND   RED. 

They  were  trying  to  get  the  raft  a  little 
nearer  the  shore,  and  Harry  saw  the  rea- 
son in  a  moment ;  for,  though  their  boat 
was  far  enough  away,  the  swell  she  made 
quite  covered  one  end  of  the  raft,  which 
swayed  as  if  it  would  come  to  pieces ;  one 
end  went  down  so  far,  that  the  man  on  it 
had  to  jump ;  but  the  woman  sat  quite 
still,  watching  her  biscuit,  which  were 
browning  in  a  tin  baker  before  the  fire. 

Harry  had  thought,  on  first  seeing  these 
rafts,  that  the  fire  was  built  right  on  the 
boards ;  but  he  soon  found  out  that  there 
was  a  large  box  on  each,  filled  with  sand, 
on  which  the  fire  was  made.  There  were 
posts  set  up  on  each  side,  and  a  cross-piece, 
with  two  or  three  hooks  dangling  from  it, 
on  which  they  hung  the  kettles  for  cook- 
ing. They  had  blankets  and  buffalo  skins 
in  the  house  ;  and  on  one  side  was  a  boat, 
so  that  they  could  go  ashore  if  they  got 
out  of  provisions,  for  sometimes  they  are 
weeks  in  getting  down  the  river. 

Harry  waved  his  handkerchief  to  the 
children,  who  did  nothing  but  stare  at  him ; 
and  then  he  went  to  the  other  side,  to 
have  one  more  look  at  the  curious  flat- 
boats  which  they  had  taken  in  tow  at 
Hastings,  and  which  were  exactly  like 
great  Noah's  Arks,  and  used  for  carrying 


WHITE   AND   RED.  43 

grain.  If  I  were  not  in  such  a  hurry  to 
be  at  Red  Lake,  I  should  tell  you  more  of 
the  strange  sights  on  and  along  the  river, 
but  there  is  no  more  time  for  that. 

They  left  St.  Paul  at  noon  for  Minneapo- 
lis, stopping  just  beyond  grim  Fort  Snell- 
ing,  at  a  station,  which  was  —  what  do 
you  think?  The  Falls  of  Minnehaha ! 
Harry  had  read  the  "  Song  of  Hiawatha." 
Indeed,  in  many  of  the  long  days  spent  in 
a  darkened  room,  mamma  had  cheered  him, 
by  telling,  among  many  other  stories,  the 
wonderful  adventures,  which  she  knew  by 
heart,  of  Hiawatha  and  his  friends ;  and 
best  among  them,  Harry  liked  his  wooing 
of  Minnehaha.  The  Falls  were  as  beauti- 
ful as  our  dear  poet's  words  which  describe 
them,  and  which  you  can  all  read  for 
yourselves.  They  spent  the  time  till  the 
train  came  at  four,  going  on  all  sides,  to 
get  every  possible  view  of  them ;  at  the 
very  last,  walking  over  the  narrow,  slip- 
pery path  in  the  rocks,  right  behind  the 
sheet  of  water,  where  there  is  a  cave,  a 
little  like  the  Cave  of  the  Winds  at  Niag- 
ara, «and  where  the  roar  almost  deafened 
Harry. 

At  Minneapolis,  where  they  waited  two 
or  three  days,  expecting  to  see  the  Indian 
Agent,  were  the  Falls  of  St.  Anthony, 


44  WHITE   AND    RED. 

roaring  and  tumbling  over  the  rocks. 
Here  are  the  largest  saw-mills  on  the  Mis- 
sissippi, and  indeed,  this  wonderful  water- 
power  is  used  for  every  sort  of  mill,  and 
Harry  was  never  tired  of  going  from  one 
to  another,  watching  the  making  of  tubs 
and  pails,  sashes,  and  blinds,  and  doors, 
.woollen  goods,  and  paper.  The  great 
buildings  seemed,  many  of  them,  right  on 
the  smaller  Falls.  One  in  particular  had 
a  little  gallery  running  around  it,  and, 
leaning  over,  he  watched  the  water,  green 
here,  brown  there,  churned  into  foam 
among  the  rocks,  plunging  at  last  to  more 
rocks  below,  which  tossed  it  back  in  clouds 
of  spray.  Sometimes  a  stray  log  escaped 
from  some  "  boom,"  whirled  along,  stand- 
ing almost  upright  as  it  neared  the  main 
Fall,  and  then  leaping  down  to  the  foam. 

He  liked,  too,  to  cross  the  suspension- 
bridge  between  Minneapolis  and  St.  An- 
thony, and  feel  it  spring  under  his  feet  as 
he  walked ;  but,  though  there  was  so  much 
to  do,  he  was  not  sorry  to  hear  one  day 
that  the  Indian  Agent  had  come,  and  that, 
in  the  afternoon,  they  could  leave  for  St. 
Cloud,  the  last  point  northwest  of  St.  Paul 
to  which  railroads  are  yet  built. 

They  reached  St.  Cloud  in  the  evening, 
Harry  too  tired  to  care  for  anything  but 


WHITE   AND    RED.  45 

bed,  or  even  to  look  out  when  the  hotel 
omnibus  crossed  the  Mississippi  on  a  ferry- 
boat which  slid  over  on  a  wire.  The  stage 
for  Crow  Wing  left  at  six  the  next  morn- 
ing, and  Harry  was  just  enough  awake  to 
see  that  two  boys  were  sitting  on  the  back 
seat,  by  a  woman  who  held  a  baby.  The 
sun  came  up  as  they  stopped  at  Sank  Rap- 
ids to  take  in  a  passenger,  and  Harry, 
looking  out,  saw  that  they  were  on  an 
unbroken  prairie  stretching  miles  and  miles 
away. 

It  was  a  weary  day's  ride.  The  roads 
were  frozen  just  enough  to  be  bumpy,  the 
baby  cried,  and  when  it  did  not  cry  the 
mother  talked  to  anybody  who  listened, 
about  the  fine  house  she  had  left  "  down 
the  river,"  how  well  she  could  dress  if  she 
chose,  and  the  excellent  table  she  always 
set.  Harry  listened  with  wide-open  eyes 
as  she  went  on. 

"Why,  there  wasn't  a  day  we  didn't 
have  fresh  and  salt,  and  we  could  a-had 
pound-cake  every  meal  if  we'd  been  a 
mind  to." 

"  Then,  if  you  could  a-had  pound-cake 
whenever  you  was  a  mind,  it's  a  mean 
shame  you  never  did,"  said  the  eldest  boy, 
at  which  the  mother,  turning  very  red, 
boxed  his  ears,  and  told  him  he  didn't 
know  what  he  was  talking  about. 


46  WHITE   AND    RED. 

They  stopped  for  dinner  at  a  little  place 
called  Swan  River,  where  the  woman  left 
them,  and  went  on  again  through  the 
afternoon,  crossing  the  Mississippi  as  twi- 
light came  on,  to  Fort  Ripley,  which,  four 
years  before,  had  been  besieged  by  Indians 
for  over  a  week,  crowded  all  the  time  with 
women  and  children  who  had  gone  in 
there  for  protection  when  the  raid  began. 
Harry  looked  at  the  high  stockade  of  logs 
inclosing  the  buildings,  and  at  some  soldiers 
pacing  up  and  down,  but  was  too  tired  to 
think  much  of  anything.  Papa  was  hold- 
ing him,  and,  lying  in  these  strong  arms, 
he  shut  his  eyes  and  was  so  sound  asleep 
that  he  knew  nothing  more  till  the  stage 
stopped,  an  hour  later. 

"  What  place  is  this  ?  "  he  said,  sitting 
up  suddenly,  and  rubbing  his  eyes. 

"  Crow  Wing,"  papa  answered.  "  We 
are  going  on  in  a  few  minutes.  Only  four 
miles  now  to  the  Agency." 

The  stage  started  again  while  he  spoke, 
and  Harry  looked  out  at  the  lights  in 
the  little  village,  dimly  seen -through  a 
drizzly  rain,  and  then  down  to  a  river, 
which,  hi  a  few  moments,  they  crossed  by 
ferry-boat.  Then  came  more  bumping 
over  the  frozen  road ;  another  river,  this 
time  crossed  by  a  log  bridge,  another 


WHITE   AND    RED.  47 

mile  of  prairie,  then  lights  and  voices. 
The  stage  stopped;  papa  jumped  out, 
mamma  and  Harry  found  themselves  on 
the  ground,  and  a  kind,  slow  voice  said, 
"You  are  welcome  to  Chippewa  Agency." 

"  Don't  keep  them  out  there  one  min- 
ute Alvin,"  said  a  brisk  voice,  belonging 
to  a  very  tall,  very  energetic  lady,  who 
led  them  at  once  into  a  large  room,  where 
a  bright  fire  burned,  and  a  table  covered 
with  books  and  work,  and  the  bright  lamp 
lighting  up  some  pictures  on  the  walls, 
made  it  look  more  home-like  than  any 
place  they  had  seen  since  the  real  home 
had  been  left  behind. 

"  Starved  you  are,  and  pretty  nearly 
frozen,  too,  I  do  believe.  Sit  and  get 
warm,  and  we'll  have  supper  in  a  minute," 
said  the  lady,  bustling  out. 

"  Who  is  she  ?  "  Harry  whispered,  look- 
ing at  a  boy  who  stood  behind  the  stove 
looking  at  him. 

"  Mrs.  Brenton,"  said  mamma.  "  This 
is  Dr.  Brenton's  house,  where  we  shall 
stay  till  we  start  for  Leech  Lake." 

The  two  doctors  came  in  just  then,  and 
Mrs.  Brenton  called  them  all  to  supper. 
Mamma's  fingers  were  so  cold  she  could 
but  just  untie  her  bonnet-strings ;  papa 
helped  her,  and  pulled  off  some  of  Harry's 


48  WHITE   AND    RED. 

wraps,  and  they  went  out  to  a  long  room, 
and  a  long  table,  with  everything  to  be 
thought  of  on  it.  Harry  had  said  he  was 
too  tired  to  be  hungry ;  but  home-made 
bread  and  sweet  butter,  the  first  they  had 
seen  since  coming  West,  developed  an 
appetite,  which  Mrs.  Brenton  seemed  to 
think  was  not  half  what  it  should  be. 

a  You'll  learn  to  eat  before  you've  been 
in  Minnesota  long,"  she  said.  "That's 
about  all  you  can  do  when  you  get  up 
yonder.  I  can't  believe  my  ears  that 
you're  really  going  through,  Mrs.  Prescott. 
You  don't  know  any  more  about  it  than  a 
baby." 

"  She  soon  will,"  said  Dr.  Brenton,  in 
his  slow,  pleasant  way.  u  She  is  a  brave 
woman,  of  whom  we  shall  all  be  proud." 

"  Day  after  to-morrow  we  are  to  go," 
Dr.  Prescott  said.  "  The  Major  and  clerk 
are  going  up  in  an  empty  team,  and  so  we 
shall  get  through  with  only  one  night's 
camping." 

Harry's  eyes  sparkled,  and  the  boy  on 
the  other  side  of  the  table  laughed.  He 
laughed  again  when  they  had  gone  back 
to  the  sitting-room. 

"  I  guess  you'll  get  enough  of  it,"  he 
said.  "  Why,  you  have  to  sleep  on 
sticks." 


WHITE   AND    RED.  49 

"But  we've  got  blankets,  plenty  of  'em," 
said  Harry,  "  and  a  buffalo  skin." 

"  Well,  you  see  if  you  don't  have  to 
sleep  on  sticks.  Can  you  talk  Chip- 
pewa?" 

"  I  know  two  words,"  said  Harry,  "  that 
papa  told  me.  He  can  talk  it." 

"  Hoh  ! "  said  the  boy.  "  I  don't  believe 
you  can  shoot  with  a  bow  and  arrow,  or 
walk  on  snow-shoes,  either.  Do  you 
know  how  to  trap  ?  I  don't  believe  you 
do." 

"  Come,  Frank,"  said  Dr.  Brenton,  "  ask 
your  questions  to-morrow,  when  I  rather 
think  you  will  find  Harry  knows  some 
things  that  you,  in  this  Indian  country, 
have  never  learned." 

Harry  walked  away  to  bed,  thinking 
that  when  morning  came  he  would  soon 
find -a  way  to  surprise  Frank,  but  went  to 
sleep  before  he  had  planned  what  it  should 
be.  When  he  woke,  the  sun  was  shining 
brightly  in ;  and,  as  he  jumped  out  of  bed, 
mamma  came  in. 

"  You  and  Frank  have  both  done  well," 
she  said.  "'Tis  almost  nine  o'clock,  and 
you  are  just  awake."  Harry  dressed  in  a 
hurry,  and,  when  his  late  breakfast  was 
over,  went  out  with  Frank,  leaving 
mamma  writing  letters. 

4 


50  WHITE   AND   RED. 

The  Agency  buildings  formed  a  hollow 
square,  in  the  centre  of  which  was  a  tall 
flag-staff.  At  one  side  were  two  long,  low 
log-houses,  and  about  them  a  stockade 
like  that  at  the  Fort. 

"  There's  where  they  keep  the  Indian 
goods,"  said  Frank,  seeing  Harry  looking 
at  them.  "  They  used  to  be  barred,  and 
the  gates  shut  and  everything,  when  the 
Sioux  was  here.  There  was  a  stockade 
round  all  the  buildings,  but  it's  cut  down 
since  the  Sioux  are  driven  away.  They 
were  the  fighting  Indians.  Chippewas 
don't  fight  the  whites :  they  fight  Sioux, 
though.  Here  cornes  '  Hole  in  the 
Day.' " 1 

"  Who  ?  "  said  Harry,  turning,  and  al- 
most wanting  to  run,  as  a  tall  Indian, 
wrapped  in  a  scarlet  blanket,  went  by 
towards  the  office.  Mamma,  who  had 
seen  him  pass,  came  out  on  the  porch  for 
her  first  look  at  the  chief  of  all  the  Mis- 
sissippi Indians.  Dr.  Prescott  took  them 
over  to  the  office  after  a  time,  and  intro- 
duced them  to  his  majesty,  who  shook 
hands  and  said,  "  Bo  jau,"  which  means, 
"  How  do  you  do  ?  " 

He  stayed  but .  a  few  minutes,  having 

1  Since  this  was  written,  Hole  in  the  Day,  whose  picture 
is  given  here,  has  been  killed. 


"  Hen-  mines  '  Hole  in  the  Day."  "     Sec  page  5*1 


WHITE   AND   RED.       *  51 

come  up  to  see  the  Agent,  who  was  not 
there,  but  who  came  at  evening.  Harry 
wrote  a  letter  home,  and  went  to  bed  to 
dream  all  night  that  he  was  walking  on 
Boston  Common,  followed  by  a  procession 
of  little  Indians,  every  one  with  snow- 
shoes  and  a  bow  and  arrow. 


52  WHITE  AND   RED. 


CHAPTER  III. 

HARRY  was  roused  before  sunrise  by  the 
bustle  all  about  him.  They  were  to  start 
by  eight  o'clock,  and  the  Major  had  risen 
very  early  to  attend  to  some  Indians  who 
wanted  to  see  him. 

Harry  went  into  the  kitchen  when  he 
had  dressed.  Mrs.  Brenton  was  there, 
and  before  her  a  large  wooden  box,  with 
leathern  hinges  and  lock,  like  a  trunk, 
into  which  she  was  putting  bread  and  pie, 
and  a  great  pan  of  doughnuts. 

"I'm  filling  the  mess  chest,"  she  said; 
"  you'll  be  hungrier  on  the  road  than  you 
ever  were  before." 

Harry  did  not  doubt  it,  for  he  was  so 
hungry  now  that  he  could  but  just  wait 
for  breakfast;  nor  did  he  have  to  wait 
long. 

"  Good-by  to  hoops,"  papa  had  said,  just 
before  breakfast.  "You  may  as  well 
leave  yours  here,  Mary,  for  it  will  be  only 
in  your  way  after  this." 

So  mamma  came  to  breakfast  in  a  very 
loose,  short  dress,  made  for  just  such  trav- 


Th«>  jnuriii-v  thnuiirh  thi- 


WHITE  AND    BED.  53 

elling.  Dr.  Brenton  said  she  knew  ex- 
actly what  to  wear,  and  was  a  sensible 
woman.  At  the  door  stood  a  long  wagon 
painted  blue,  and  with  heavy  wheels.  In 
the  back  were  some  boxes  of  goods,  going 
to  the  Upper  Agency,  for  the  Indians. 
The  big  trunk  was  in  front,  with  papa's 
valise ;  a  buffalo  skin  was  spread  over  the 
boxes,  and  in  the  middle  of  the  wagon 
were  five  or  six  pairs  of  blankets,  folded, 
to  sit  on.  Mrs.  Prescott  took  a  place 
here,  and  Harry  next  to  her.  Dr.  Pres- 
cott, and  Mr.  Peal,  the  clerk,  sat  oppo- 
site; and  the  Major,  sitting  high  up  on 
the  big  trunk,  drove  the  two  fat  horses. 
The  Indians  had  stayed  to  see  the  white 
squaw  who  was  going  to  Red  Lake,  and 
all  the  Agency  people  came  out  to  see 
them  off,  even  to  the  tall  blacksmith,  who 
shook  his  head  as  he  went  back  to  work. 

The  morning  was  frosty,  but  very  clear. 
The  horses  trotted  briskly  over  the  prai- 
rie, their  bells  jingling,  for  all  horses  in 
the  Indian  country  wear  each  a  bell,  win- 
ter and  summer.  Soon  they  came  to 
pine  woods,  which  grew  thicker  and  den- 
ser as  they  went  on.  No  snow  had  fallen 
yet ;  and  which  most  covered  the  ground, 
pine  leaves  or  winter-green,  it  was  hard  to 
tell.  Winter-green,  loaded  with  bright  red 


54  WHITE  AND   RED. 

berries,  Harry  never  had  seen  in  such 
quantities.  He  soon  found  that  it  was 
easy  to  drop  off  behind  when  the  horses 
were  going  slowly,  and  so  he  did  it  now 
and  then,  climbing  back  with  handfuls 
of  the  berries,  which  were  spicy  and  cold, 
and  better  than  any  he  had  ever  tasted 
before.  He  found,  too,  sometimes,  huckle- 
berries, frozen  but  still  clinging  to  the 
bush.  They  all  ate  them ;  but  a  bushel 
would  hardly  have  taken  away  the  appe- 
tites given  by  the  pure,  clear  air,  and 
hungry  did  not  begin  to  express  their 
feelings  when  noon  came. 

The  mess  chest  was  whisked  out  to  the 
ground.  Dr.  Prescott  cut  some  strips  of 
birch  bark,  while  Harry  picked  up  small 
dry  sticks,  with  which  they  kindled  a  fire 
near  a  log,  which  must  have  been  used 
for  the  same  purpose  the  night  before,  as 
it  was  still  warm  and  smoking,  while  a 
pile  of  brands  lay  before  it. 

A  little  lake  was  close  by,  for  there  are 
lakes  and  creeks  every  few  miles,  from 
Crow  Wing  to  Pembina.  Harry  brought 
a  tin  pail  full  of  the  clear,  sparkling  wa- 
ter, while  his  father  cut  down  a  little 
pine-tree,  and  chopped  it  up  for  the  fire. 
The  Major  stuck  a  stick  into  the  ground, 
which  bent  down  to  just  the  right  dis- 


WHITE   AND   RED.  55 

tance  from  the  fire,  when  the  pail  was 
hung  on  it.  Tongues  of  yellow  flame 
shot  up,  and  as  the  heavier  wood  caught, 
blazed  steadily  around  the  pail,  into 
which,  as  the  water  boiled,  the  Major 
threw  a  great  handful  of  tea.  Mamma 
wondered  at  the  quantity,  but  found  soon 
that  every  one  in  camp  drank  tea,  the 
stronger  the  better,  and  that  it  was  made 
regularly  three  times  a  day,  summer  and 
winter.  The  Major  took  some  tin  basins, 
and  a  cup  of  brown  sugar  from  the  chest ; 
every  one  helped  himself  to  a  tin  plate 
and  iron  spoon,  and  ate  bread  and  cheese 
and  doughnuts,  and  drank  tea  in  aston- 
ishing quantities,  while  the  two  horses 
buried  their  noses  in  a  box  of  oats, 
and  looked  around  contentedly  while 
they  ate. 

Gull  Lake,  the  Major  told  Harry  it  was, 
where  they  were  camping,  eighteen  miles 
from  the  Agency,  and  he  showed  him 
where  a  logging  camp  was  to  be  in  a 
week  or  two.  Lumbermen  go  up  to  the 
"  Pineries,"  as  they  are  called,  generally 
in  December ;  go  into  camp,  and,  through 
the  winter,  cut  logs,  which,  during  spring 
freshets,  float  down  the  various  rivers  to 
the  Mississippi ;  and  through  that  to  the 
great  mills,  where  they  are  sawed  into 


56  WHITE  AND   RED. 

lumber.  There  will  be  more  to  tell  you 
of  these  camps,  by  and  by. 

At  one  o'clock  they  started  on,  passing 
in  an  hour  or  two  an  Indian  village,  on 
the  edge  of  a  creek.  There  was  one  log- 
house,  with  a  piece  of  white  cotton  cloth 
stretched  in  the  window,  to  take  the 
place  of  glass.  All  the  rest  were  wig- 
wams, some  large,  some  small,  covered 
nearly  to  the  top  with  birch  bark,  and  a 
blanket  hung  before  the  opening  which 
served  as  door.  The  Indians  all  flocked 
out  to  look ;  very  few  men  among  them, 
as  nearly  all  were  off  hunting ;  but  plenty 
of  women,  half-grown  boys,  and  little  chil- 
dren, who  ran  after  the  wagon,  calling, 
"  Pequaiggeekan,  Ogema ! "  which  means, 
"  Some  bread,  chief ! " 

The  Major  threw  them  some  ship  bis- 
cuit, which  they  took  with  delight,  for 
anything  made  of  flour  they  are  anxious 
to  get.  Two  or  three,  among  them  a  tall 
boy  sixteen  or  seventeen  years  old,  fol- 
lowed for  a  while,  and  Harry,  looking 
back  at  his  blanketed  figure,  and  black  elf 
locks,  thought  of  tomahawks,  and  almost 
imagined  he  might  throw  one. 

They  passed  now  at  intervals  the  sites 
of  old  villages,  the  poles  still  stuck  in 
the  ground,  marking  where  wigwams  had 


WHITE   AND   RED.  57 

been,  and  ready  for  future  use.  Toward 
evening  they  went  through  what  are 
called  "  Abraham's  Plains ; "  flat,  very 
swampy  ground;  black,  skeleton  pines 
standing  here  and  there,  and  wild  rice 
and  flags  growing  to  the  edge  of  the  road, 
which  here  is  corduroy,  else  the  horses 
would  sink  to  their  breasts. 

Corduroy  road  is  made  by  cutting 
down  trees,  trimming  away  the  branches, 
and  laying  the  logs  side  by  side  in  the 
swamp.  Some  settle  deeper  than  others ; 
the  result  being,  sometimes  an  upset,  and 
always  such  jolts  and  bumps,  such  a 
tumbling  off  of  everything  loose,  and 
dancing  up  and  down  of  everything  else, 
that  mamma,  in  terror,  as  she  saw  the 
big  trunk  and  the  Major  sliding  back  to- 
gether, declared  she  would  walk. 

Wonderful  walking  it  proved  to  be. 
Mud  holes,  over  which  she  jumped ;  stand- 
ing water,  a  thin  crust  of  ice  on  it, 
through  which  rubbers  took  them  safely ; 
up  and  down  the  round  logs  sinking  under 
them  in  some  places,  making  the  most  un- 
comfortable footing  you  can  well  imagine, 
till,  quite  tired  out,  Harry  said  he  meant 
to  get  back  to  the  wagon,  and  climbed  up 
behind.  Corduroy  ended  before  he  was 
really  in.  They  left  the  swampy  ground, 


58  WHITE  AND   RED. 

and  entered  again  the  thick  woods,  stop- 
ping in  a  few  minutes  for  the  night,  as  it 
was  now  almost  dark. 

The  tops  of  the  tall  trees  swaying  over- 
head showed  that  a  gale  must  be  blowing 
on  the  open  prairie,  but  low  down  in  the 
woods  it  was  hardly  felt.  The  air  was  cold 
and  clear,  but  not  one  shivered,  as  they 
would  have  done  at  home,  after  being  out- 
of-doors  all  day.  A  fire  was  the  first  thing 
to  be  thought  of.  Harry  got  the  birch 
bark  this  time,  and  some  small  sticks  too. 
The  Major  and  Dr.  Prescott  dragged  up 
two  or  three  logs  lying  near  by,  as  a  founda- 
tion, and,  having  lit  the  fire,  which  crackled 
and  spread  through  the  smaller  branches, 
and  seizing  on  the  pine  logs,  blazed  up 
at  once,  took  their  axes  and  went  in- 
to the  wood,  while  Mr.  Peal  unharnessed 
the  horses,  and  after  rubbing  them  down, 
went  to  the  creek  for  water.  Harry  stood 
by  mamma,  warming  himself,  and  listening 
to  the  sound  of  the  axes,  and  the  crash  of 
one  tree  after  another,  till  four  had  fallen. 

"  What  do  they  want  so  many  for  ? "  he 
said.  "  There  is  fire  enough  for  tea." 

«  But  not  for  all  night,"  said  Mr.  Peal, 
who  had  come  back  with  water,  which  the 
horses  were  drinking  now.  "Thee  has 
never  camped,  so  thee  does  not  know  that 
we  keep  a  fire  ah1  night." 


WHITE   AND   RED.  59 

"  To  keep  off  bears  ?  "  said  Harry,  who 
began  to  think  of  all  the  stories  of  camp- 
life  he  had  ever  read.  "  Do  you  suppose 
bears  will  come  ?  " 

"  The  bears  have  gone  West,"  said  Mr. 
Peal.  "  They  are  not  fond  of  society,  and 
had  too  much  of  it  after  this  road  was 
made ;  so  they  left." 

"  I  thought  this  was  as  west  as  it  could 
be,"  said  Harry. 

"  No,"  said  the  Major,  who  came  bear- 
ing one  end  of  a  log,  while  Dr.  Prescott  had 
the  other.  "  The  West  is  several  hundred 
miles  off.  Minnesota  is  East ;  didn't  you 
know  that  ?" 

Another  log  was  on  its  way  in  before 
Harry  could  answer,  and  soon  six  or  seven 
lay  near  the  fire,  ready  for  use  when  want- 
ed. The  water  which  had  been  put  over 
at  once  on  lighting  the  fire,  was  boiling, 
and  ready  for  tea.  The  mess  chest  was 
lifted  out  again,  the  wagon  drawn  up  one 
side,  that  the  load  might  be  under  guard 
all  night ;  the  horses  allowed  rope  enough, 
to  give  them  liberty  in  case  they  preferred 
winter-green  berries  to  oats ;  and  then,  sit- 
ting around  the  fire,  they  ate  supper  with 
appetites  quite  equal  to  those  they  had 
brought  to  dinner.  Mamma  washed  the 
dishes  to-night,  with  a  branch  of  white-pine 


60  WHITE   AND  RED. 

for  a  dishcloth,  and  stood  them  up  against 
a  log  to  dry.  Harry,  in  the  mean  time, 
amused  himself  with  breaking  off  bits  from 
more  of  these  branches,  and  throwing  them 
on  the  fire,  where  they  crackled  a  moment, 
sending  up  such  lovely  gold  and  violet 
flames,  that,  delighted,  he  dragged  up  larg- 
er branches,  and  threw  them  on,  one  after 
another. 

*  Come  down  the  road  a  little  way,  and 
you  will  get  the  effect  of  a  camp  better 
than  by  staying  hi  it,"  said  papa  to  mamma. 

Harry  threw  on  three  or  four  more 
branches,  and  followed,  turning  in  a  few 
moments,  as  they  came  to  a  little  log  bridge 
over  the  creek,  and  looking  back  to  the 
camp,  lit  by  the  firelight,  which  leaped  up 
against  the  background  of  tall  black  pines, 
each  one  standing  out  clear  and  distinct ; 
here  and  there  a  white  birch  or  popple,  the 
pale  ghost  of  a  tree,  and  everywhere 
strange,  distorted  stumps  and  roots,  which 
one  could  imagine  at  pleasure,  wild  animals 
or  Indians.  Standing  still  on  the  little 
bridge,  the  dark  water  flowing  softly  be- 
low, and  looking  off  beyond  the  fire-lighted 
circle,  to  depths  of  shadow,  a  note  or  two 
of  music  came  from  the  distance ;  and  turn- 
ing suddenly,  Harry  almost  cried  out,  as  he 
saw  the  tall  figure  of  an  Indian  close  be- 


WHITE  AND   RED.  .  61 

hind  them  on  the  bridge,  the  silent  tread 
of  his  moccasined  foot  not  having  been 
heard  by  one  of  them. 

Papa  safd  a  few  words  which  Harry  did 
not  understand,  and  walked  back  to  camp, 
followed  closely  by  the  Indian,  who  sat 
down  on  his  heels,  and  without  speaking, 
looked  steadily  at  them.  A  woman  came 
in  in  a  few  moments,  carrying  a  birch  bark 
pan  full  of  fresh  fish,  whose  gills  were  still 
quivering,  and  asking  for  "  pequaiggeekan" 
in  exchange.  The  Major  gave  her  some 
crackers ;  at  which,  the  man  rising,  said, 
"  Hawhaw ! "  and  the  woman, "  Megwetch," 
which  means,  "  thank  you." 

Harry,  with  mamma  and  papa,  followed 
them  back  to  the  wigwam,  the  music  grow- 
ing plainer  as  they  drew  nearer.  Here 
they  found  a  whole  family,  gn  their  way  to 
Leech  Lake,  but  staying  here  for  a  day  or 
two,  and  comfortably  at  housekeeping,  as 
all  Indians  can  be,  on  ten  minutes'  notice. 
The  rolls  of  birch  bark  and  rush  mats,  the 
two  or  three  pails  for  cooking,  and  the 
corn  and  other  provisions,  are  carried  on 
the  women's  backs,  —  everything  rolled  in 
a  rush  mat,  tied  up  with  thongs  of  skin,  or 
a  rope  of  braided  grass,  and  held  in  place 
by  a  wide  band  passing  across  the  woman's 
forehead.  A  few  poles  are  cut  when  night 


62  WHITE  AND   RED. 

and  camping  time  come,  and  a  wigwam  set 
up,  or  an  old  one  taken  possession  of.  The 
birch  bark  is  put  around  to  keep  off  the 
wind,  the  rush  mats  laid  down,  as  seat,  ta- 
ble, and  bed,  and  after  a  supper  of  parched 
corn,  and  sometimes  fish  from  the  near- 
est lake  or  creek,  they  roll  themselves  in 
their  blankets,  which,  winter  and  summer, 
an  Indian  always  has  with  him,  and  go  to 
sleep. 

The  musician  was  an  Indian  boy,  who 
had  a  flageolet  made  from  a  reed,  on  which 
he  played  something  which  could  hardly 
be  called  a  tune,  for  it  had  but  four  plain- 
tive minor  notes. 

Hung  to  a  pole  was  a  baby :  that  is, 
the  baby  was  fastened  to  a  board,  and  the 
board  to  a  pole  of  the  wigwam,  and  the  lit- 
tle thing,  bound  down  by  two  bead-work 
bands,  so  that  neither  hand  nor  foot  could 
stir,  looked  around  with  its  bright  black 
eyes,  and  even  smiled  at  Harry,  who,  you 
may  be  sure,  was  looking  hard  as  he  could 
at  everything  in  the  first  wigwam  which 
he  had  ever  visited.  The  women  seemed 
pleased  at  their  call,  and  Harry  went  back 
to  camp,  wondering  what  some  of  his  Bos- 
ton friends  would  say,  if  they  knew  he  was 
sleeping  on  the  ground  in  the  woods,  with 
an  Indian  camp  close  by. 


WHITE   AND    RED.  63 

The  Major  sat  by  the  fire  smoking,  while 
Mr.  Peal  was  breaking  off  pine  boughs,  and 
strewing  them  over  the  ground. 

"  Old  campers  can  do  without  this,"  he 
said  to  Mrs.  Prescott,  "  but  thy  bones  are 
not  used  to  bare  ground,  and  thee  will  find 
these  boughs  comfortable  as  a  spring  mat- 
tress." 

Dr.  Prescott  helped  him  in  the  work  till 
a  thick  bed  had  been  made ;  then  spread 
their  blankets,  while  the  Major  stretched 
one  at  the  back,  to  keep  off  the  wind. 

"  Take  off  your  shoes,  else  your  feet  will 
be  very  cold  before  morning,"  said  papa, 
"  and  all  your  wraps,  too." 

Harry  saw  with  surprise  that  the  Major 
and  Mr.  Peal  had  both  taken  off  their  boots 
and  coats,  and  thought  to  himself  that  that 
surely  was  the  right  way  to  shiver  through 
the  night ;  he  was  still  more  surprised  as 
they  laid  down,  to  see  that  they  did  not 
keep  their  feet  under  the  blankets,  but  put 
them  out  toward  the  fire,  on  which  two  or 
three  more  logs  had  been  piled.  Raising 
his  head,  after  all  were  settled  for  the  night, 
he  saw  that  Dr.  Prescott's  feet,  too,  were 
out  toward  the  fire,  and  could  keep  still 
no  longer. 

"  Did  you  know  your  feet  weren't 
covered  up,  papa  ? "  he  said. 


64  WHITE  AND   BED. 

«  Why,  yes,"  said  Dr.  Prescott.  u  Feet 
are  always  warmer  put  out  in  this  way, 
than  they  are  under  cover ;  and  even  in 
coldest  winter,  the  teamsters  and  lumber- 
men who  may  be  camping  out,  always  take 
off  their  boots  or  moccasins,  and  lie  with 
their  feet  to  the  fire." 

"  0,  what's  that  ?  "  said  Harry,  suddenly, 
as  a  long  howl  came  through  the  forest, 
followed  by  a  quick,  sharp  bark. 

"  Wolves,  and  a  fox,"  said  papa ;  "  and 
that  is  a  screech  owl,"  as  a  most  dreadful 
scream  was  heard  overhead,  which  made 
both  mamma  and  Harry  jump. 

"  I  never  can  go  to  sleep,"  said  Harry, 
sitting  up,  while  mamma  seemed  inclined 
to  do  the  same. 

"  Thee  need  not  fear,"  said  Mr.  Peal, 
drowsily.  "  There  is  no  danger." 

"  Not  a  particle,"  said  papa ;  "  no  wild 
animal  comes  near  such  a  fire  as  this.  Try 
and  go  to  sleep." 

Harry  lay  down  again,  getting  close  to 
papa,  looking  up  to  the  deep  blue  sky,  and 
then  off  to  the  woods,  which  the  moon,  now 
risen,  lit  up  only  too  distinctly.  He  started 
as  the  howls  came  again,  and  half  fan- 
cied a  stump  near  by  must  be  a  bear,  but, 
too  tired  to  look  about  long,  was  soon 
sound  asleep.  Mamma  kept  awake  longer. 


WHITE   AND    BED.  65 

Indians  and  wolves  seemed  strange  com- 
pany; but  soon  she,  too,  forgot  to  be 
troubled,  and  was  quietly  asleep,  half  wak- 
ing, when  the  Major  got  up  to  renew  the 
fire,  but  drowsing  again  at  once. 

It  seemed  to  Harry  that  he  had  not 
slept  an  hour,  when  he  opened  his  eyes, 
to  see  papa  throwing  another  log  on  the 
fire  ;  while  in  a  frying-pan,  the  fish  sizzled 
and  browned,  with  some  slices  of  pork. 
The  moon  was  still  shining,  but  gray  twi- 
light in  the  east  showed  that  daylight  was 
coming. 

"  Breakfast  in  ten  minutes,"  said  the 
Major.  "  Half-past  four  now,  and  we  must 
be  off  soon,  or  we  sha'n't  get  in  to  Leech 
Lake  to-night.  The  road  isn't  so  good 
to-day." 

"  Good  morning,  my  aged  friend,"  said 
Mr.  Peal,  as  Harry  stood  up.  "  Thy  locks 
are  white.  Did  thy  fright  turn  them  ?  " 

"  Yours  are,  too,"  said  Harry, "  and  mam- 
ma's some.  Why,  what  is  it  ?  It  comes 
off  on  my  hand." 

"  Frost ;  hoar-frost,"  said  papa,  laughing. 
"  My  beard  was  covered  when  I  woke  up." 

Harry  laced  his  shoes,  and  went  down  to 
the  creek  with  mamma,  to  freshen  their 
faces  in  the  cold  water.  Cold  it  was,  with 
needle-like  particles  of  ice  floating  in  it, 


•  66  WHITE   AND    RED. 

and  the  Indian  girl  filling  her  pail,  looked 
on  in  surprise  at  this  way  of  using  water, 
—  her  own  face  seldom,  if  ever,  being 
washed,  except  by  the  rivers  through 
which  she  might  chance  to  wade  or  swim. 

Papa  followed  them  down,  and  they  went 
back  to  breakfast,  hungry  as  could  be. 
The  Indian  who  had  come  into  camp  the 
night  before,  received  the  remnants  of  the 
meal,  carrying  them  to  his  wigwam,  and  by 
half  past  five  our  party  were  off. 

To-day  was  like  yesterday ;  no.  swamp 
to  go  through,  being  the  only  difference. 
Till  afternoon  the  sun  shone,  and  they  en- 
joyed it ;  but  then  a  fine,  cold  rain  began, 
and  the  last  four  or  five  hours  they  sat 
wrapped  in  rubber  cloaks,  almost  too  cold 
and  stiff  to  talk,  even.  Woods,  woods, 
woods,  till  Harry  would  have  shouted  at 
the  sight  of  open  country.  He  was  too 
tired  and  achy  for  that,  though;  when 
about  eight  o'clock  they  saw  lights  and 
dim  shapes  of  houses,  and,  stopping  at 
last,  through  the  dark,  drizzly  night,  were 
led  into  a  large  room,  lighted  by  a  fire  in 
an  open  chimney,  where  they  went  to  bed 
at  once,  inclined  to  think  that  feathers, 
were  altogether  better  than  pine  boughs. 

Harry  woke  next  morning  thinking  he 
heard  the  ringing  of  a  school-bell,  and  for- 


WHITE   AND   RED.  67' 

getting  for  a  moment  where  he  was.  A 
bell  certainly  was  ringing,  and  in  the  next 
room  he  heard  the  tramping  of  many  feet, 
and  sounds  as  if  the  confusion  of  tongues 
at  Babel  had  begun  all  over  again.  News 
of  the  Major's  coming  had  spread,  and 
brought  together  Indians  and  half-breeds 
from  every  quarter ;  and  going  out  to 
breakfast,  they  found  in  the  wide,  low 
room,  a  crowd,  at  which  Harry  stared  in 
such  wonder,  as  to  be  almost  unable  to  eat 
his  breakfast.  A  very  good  one  it  was, 
set  out  on  a  long  table  two  boards  wide. 
Harry  sat  by  his  mother,  and  the  Major 
and  clerk,  with  his  father,  on  the  same 
side.  Directly  opposite  him  sat  George 
Bunga,  the  interpreter,  a  tall,  powerful 
negro,  talking  English,  French,  or  Chip- 
pewa,  just  as  it  happened.  He  is  so  noted 
a  man  in  the  Indian  country,  that  by  and 
by  I  shall  tell  you  more  of  him. 

Next  to  him  was  Be-ghe-kee,  or  "  Old 
Buffalo,"  head  chief  at  Leach  Lake,  and  a 
firm  friend  of  the  whites,  wrapped  in  a 
dirty  blanket,  and  using  his  long  scalping- 
knife  in  eating  fried  pork.  Next  to  him, 
a  civilized  Indian,  his  hair  cut,  and  wear- 
ing the  white  man's  dress,  but  with  beaded 
shirt  bosom,  and  gay  leggins.  Then  came 
three  or  four  half-breeds,  with  ear-rings 


68  WHITE   AND   RED. 

an.d  bright  shawls  twisted  around  their 
waists,  and  all  with  the  long  knife  which 
every  one  wears  there.  At  the  head  of 
the  table  stood  Oliver,  the  owner  of  the 
house,  pouring  coffee ;  a  Kentuckian,  who, 
from  long  life  in  that  country,  was 
more  than  half  Indian,  and  with  his  long 
black  hair,  and  dark  skin,  seemed  quite 
one  of  them. 

Chippewa,  Cree,  broken  English,  and  a 
barbarous  French,  mixed  with  the  lan- 
guage of  any  tribe  among  whom  the  half- 
breeds  had  lived,  sounded  in  Harry's  ears, 
who,  trying  to  understand  everything, 
grew  distracted,  and  understood  nothing. 
Papa  left  them  after  breakfast,  coming  in 
after  a  time,  with  a  troubled  face,  and  sit- 
ting down,  as  if  he  did  not  at  all  know 
what  to  do.  9 

"  I  have  been  out  to  the  warehouse," 
he  said,  "  expecting  to  find  our  boxes  of 
goods  there,  but  not  one  has  come ;  and 
Daggett,  who  was  to  have  brought  them 
up,  says  he  went  twice  to  Crow  Wing  for 
them,  finding  nothing  there.  We  must 
get  up  to  Red  Lake  as  soon  as  possible, 
and  I  see  no  way  to  do  but  to  return  with 
Daggett,  who  starts  to-morrow  morning, 
and  see  to  things  myself.  I  went  at  once 
to  the  engineer's  house,  and  his  wife  is 


WHITE   AND    RED.  69 

quite  willing  you  should  board  there  till  I 
can  get  back." 

"  I  am  very  glad  of  that,"  said  mam- 
ma, who  had  been  looking  anxious  and 
troubled.  "  It  would  have  been  very  dis- 
agreeable to  stay  here  in  such  a  houseful, 
and  of  course  we  cannot  go  on  without 
provisions,  and  other  things." 

"  Then,"  said  papa, "  we  will  go  over  to 
the  engineer's;"  and  wrapping  up  warmly, 
they  left  the  noisy  house,  and  went  out  to 
the  cold  air  and  bright  sunshine. 

As  at  the  Lower  Agency,  the  buildings 
formed  a  hollow  square  ;  but,  unlike  them, 
these  were  near  a  beautiful  lake ;  low  hills 
rising  from  the  opposite  shore,  an  island 
or  two  in  sight,  and  points  of  land  run- 
ning far  out  into  the  lake,  which  papa 
said  was  longer  than  Lake  George.  Com- 
ing nearer,  they  saw  the  quaintest  little 
steamboat,  built,  he  told  them,  the  year 
before,  which  the  Indians,  he  said,  disliked 
very  much,  and  had  threatened  to  burn, 
saying  that  the  Great  Spirit  did  not  like 
fire-boats  on  the  waters  he  had  made,  be- 
cause they  frightened  and  killed  the  fish.. 

Ci  Here  comes  George  Bunga,"  he  went 
on,  hurriedly.  "  He  thinks  himself  far 
above  any  Indian,  or  even  the  few  white 
traders  who  come  up  here,  so  be  very  re- 
spectful." 


70  WHITE   AND    RED. 

Bunga  came  up  as  he  finished,  and  bowed 
low  to  Mrs.  Prescott,  taking  off  his  skin 
cap,  and  showing  a  round  head  covered 
with  grizzly  wool,  quite  white  in  spots. 
He  was  full  six  feet  tall,  and  though 
dressed  in  great  part  like  a  white  man, 
still  wore  moccasins,  the  long  knife  in  a 
deer-skin  sheath  worked  with  beads,  and  a 
bright  shawl  around  his  waist 

"  Not  much  like  your  far-off  home, 
madam,"  he  said,  with  another  bow,  and  so 
courtly  a  manner,  that  she  was  amazed. 
"  You  see  a  wild  country,  but  I  remember 
a  time  when  it  was  wilder.  I  came  here 
to  trade  for  the  Hudson's  Bay  Company, 
in  1840,  and  am  the  first  white  man  that 
ever  saw  Leech  Lake.  My  house  was  the 
first  one  built  here,  and  "  — 

Unfortunately  the  Major,  who  did  not 
know  half  a  dozen  words  of  Chippewa, 
was  hemmed  in  by  a  crowd  of  them,  all 
talking  at  once,  and  called  to  Bunga  to 
come  and  interpret ;  and  mamma,  waiting 
till  he  was  out  of  hearing,  laughed  at 
Harry's  astonishment,  and  Bunga's  idea  of 
his  own  color. 

"  I  believe  the  man  really  thinks  he  is 
white,"  said  papa;  "and "he  is  in  every 
way  far  beyond  the  ordinary  white  men 
here  ;  has  fewer  vices,  and  tries  to  educate 


WHITE    AND    RED.  71 

his  children  as  well  as  he  can ;  while  the 
whites,  or,  at  any  rate,  the  traders  among 
them,  who  all  have  squaw  wives,  seem  to 
be  more  brutish  than  the  worst  Indians, 
and  do  them  nothing  but  harm." 

Walking  on  as  they  talked,  they  met 
Mr.  Kitchen,  the  engineer,  and  went  into 
his  little  house,  which  seemed  very  quiet 
and  pleasant  after  the  noisy  one  they  had 
left.  *Mrs.  Kitchen  was  one  of  the  only 
two  white  women  at  Leech  Lake,  and  had 
been  there  a  year.  Her  two  little  children 
were  playing  about  the  room ;  so  fat,  that 
when  they  tumbled  down,  it  seemed  as  if 
they  never  could  get  up ;  and  when  they 
did  get  up,  as  if  it  must  hurt  them  to  run 
with  such  heavy  legs  to  lift  at  each  step. 

Mrs.  Kitchen  showed  them  the  mission- 
ary's house,  and  said  there  was  to  be  a 
meeting  there  at  ten  o'clock.  It  was  al- 
most ten  now,  for  they  had  had  a  very 
late  breakfast ;  so  they  all  went  down  to- 
gether, and  were  introduced  to  the  mis- 
sionary, a  gray-headed,  kindly-looking, 
weather-beaten  man,  who  said  he  had 
been  among  them  twenty  years.  There 
were  long,  narrow  benches,  for  the  use  of 
his  scholars,  who  soon  filled  them,  the 
older  Indians  as  they  came  in,  sitting 
down  and  balancing  in  some  queer  way 


72  WHITE   AM)   BED. 

• 

on  their  heels.  All  the  service  was  in 
Chippewa,  except  the  last  prayer,  which 
Mr.  Wright  made  in  English,  translating 
into  Chippewa  each  sentence  as  he  went 
along,  which  made  it  sound  very  strangely. 
They  took  dinner  at  the  sort  of  board- 
ing-house where  they  had  had  breakfast, 
meeting  the  same  queer  crowd  at  table ; 
and  after  dinner,  went  over  to  Mrs.  Kitch- 
en's to  stay,  where  the  rest  of  the  day 
went  by  like  a  dream,  the  last  thing 
Harry  remembered  at  night,  being  the 
dropping  of  the  curtain  over  three  or  four 
Indian  faces  pressed  against  the  window 
panes,  and  looking,  with  their  bright  black 
eyes,  at  all  they  could  see  within.  Papa  left 
them  next  morning ;  and  now,  before  go- 
ing on  with  the  story,  I  will  tell  you  a 
little  of  who  these  Indians  are,  and  why 
we  call  Leech  Lake,  and  other  places  you 
will  hear  spoken  of,  Agencies. 

Far  back  as  you  may  go  in  American 
History,  —  whether  you  begin  with  the 
old  Northmen,  or  with  Columbus,  whose 
ships  sailed  into  Hispaniola  Bay,  almost 
four  hundred  years  ago,  or  with  the  Pil- 
grims who  came  to  the  stormy  New  Eng- 
land coast,  long  years  after,  —  you  will 
find  all  of  them  meeting  Indians,  who 


WHITE   AND    RED.  73 

were  the  real  Americans,  but  who  gave 
place  to  the  white  man,  some  willingly, 
some  fighting  against  it.  'Tis  the  old 
story  you  will  all  learn  as  you  grow  older, 
—  a  strong  race,  conquering  and  driving 
out  a  weaker  one ;  and,  fight  as  they 
would,  these  Indians  gave  place  more  and 
more  each  year,  to  whites,  who  came  from 
every  nation  of  Europe  to  the  new  coun- 
try. 

In  1667,  hundreds  of  tribes,  some  peace- 
ful, some  warlike,  and  each  one  number- 
ing many  thousands,  occupied  the  larger 
part  of  the  United  States.  In  1867  you 
find  two  thirds  of  these  tribes  extinct,  and 
the  remaining  ones  driven  west  of  the 
Mississippi, —  lessening  in  numbers  each 
year,  but  clinging  to  old  customs,  and  in 
no  way  changing  from  the  Indian  of  two 
hundred  years  ago.  Government  buys 
their  land,  agreeing  to  pay  them  so  much 
money  and  goods  yearly  ;  moves  them  far- 
ther west,  and  appoints  for  each  tribe  an 
agent,  sometimes  two,  who  sees  that  their 
annuities  are  paid  regularly  and  that  the 
provision,  blankets,  and  other  goods,  are 
divided  among  them  justly.  The  Chippe- 
was,  or  Ojibways,  are  a  powerful  tribe ; 
once  very  numerous,  but  now  only  about 
ten  thousand,  whom  we  hear  of  first  at 


74  WHITE   AND    RED. 

the  time  the  French  discovered  Sault 
Sainte  Marie,  on  Lake  Superior.  They 
owned  then  the  whole  country,  from 
Green  Bay  in  Wisconsin,  up  to  the  head 
waters  of  Lake  Superior.  All  through 
this  country  are  wonderfully  rich  mines 
of  iron,  copper,  etc.,  and  these  having 
been  discovered,  the  Government,  in  1855, 
bought  them  of  the  Ojibways,  who  gave 
them  up  as  hunting-grounds,  a  few  bands 
remaining,  but  the  greater  part  going 
northwest  into  Minnesota,  where  they 
now  are.  They  are  divided  into  different 
bands,  each  one  under  a  head  chief:  the 
principal  ones  being  the  Mississippi  Ojib- 
ways, about  Lakes  Winnipeg  and  Itasca ; 
the  Mille  Lac  band ;  the  Pillagers  of  Leech 
Lake,  called  so  by  their  own  people,  from 
their  thieving  habits ;  and  last,  the  Red 
Lake  band,  the  best  of  all  Ojibways,  and 
numbering  some  three  thousand,  includ- 
ing the  Pembina  band. 

Till  within  a  few  years,  the  Agency  for 
the  Ojibways  was  near  Crow  Wing,  Min- 
nesota. Here  lived  the  Agent,  whose 
duty  you  know ;  a  doctor ;  a  farmer,  to 
help  them  in  cultivating  their  fields,  and 
show  them  how  to  use  the  farming  tools 
given  by  the  Government ;  a  blacksmith, 
who  mends  their  guns,  and  sharpens  their 


WHITE   AND    RED.  75 

axes ;  an  engineer  to  run  the  saw-mill, 
which  provides  boards  for  their  houses; 
a  carpenter  to  build  them;  and  last,  a 
teacher,  or  missionary,  whose  work  is  the 
most  discouraging  of  all,  because  all  In- 
dians distrust  all  missionaries,  and,  with 
very  few  exceptions,  are  unwilling  to  be 
taught,  or  to  give  up  their  own  faith.  I 
shall  tell  you  why,  farther  on. 

The  Ojibways  have  always  been  friend- 
ly to  the  whites,  and  are  inclined  to  be 
peaceable',  fighting  only  against  the  Sioux 
or  Dacotahs,  who  are  their  deadly  ene- 
mies, and  indeed,  the  enemies  of  every 
tribe  but  their  own,  making  peace  only 
to  break  it,  and  never  faithful  in  their 
treaties  with  the  whites. 

There  are  many  other  Indian  tribes  on 
the  great  plains,  both  this  side  of  and  be- 
yond the  Rocky  Mountains ;  but  Chip- 
pewas  first  and  Sioux  now  and  then,  are 
all  we  shall  have  to  do  with ;  and  as  we 
go  on,  I  shall  try  and  show  them  to  you 
just  as  they  are,  so  that  when  Harry's  life 
among  them  ends,  you  may  know  them 
almost  as  well  as  he  does. 


76  WHITE   AND    RED. 


CHAPTER  IV. 

THE  first  snow  fell  the  day  after  Dr. 
Prescott  left ;  a  heavy  storm,  lasting 
nearly  two  days,;  and  when  the  sun  shone 
out  again,  cold  weather  came  with  him, 
and  the  ice  formed  fast  on  the  pretty  lake, 
through  which  Harry  had  hoped  to  sail  in 
the  steamboat.  Hard  paths  were  -quickly 
made  by  the  Indians,  a  hundred  or  two  of 
whom  lived  back  of  the  Agency  build- 
ings ;  and  mamma  and  Harry  walked 
every  day,  sometimes  going  to  the  wig- 
wams, but  oftener  along  the  lake  shore, 
listening  to  the  strange  noises  under  the 
ice  ;  moans  and  groans,  and  sometimes  a 
long  howl,  followed  by  a  sharp  crack,  as 
if  some  wild  animal  were  coming  over  the 
ice.  Harry  was  alone  the  first  time  he 
heard  these  sounds,  and  certain  that  either 
a  bear  or  wolf  was  after  him,  ran  home 
fast  as  he  could  go,  meeting  Mr.  Kitchen 
on  the  way,  and  finding  out  what  it  was. 

He  went,  too,  every  day,  to  Mr.  Wright's 
school,  and  never  tired  of  looking  at  the 
little  Indian  boys,  dressed  exactly  like 


WHITE  AND   RED.  77 

their  fathers,  but  as  full  of  sly  mischief  as 
any  boys  could  be.  He  played  with  them 
now  and  then,  learning  in  this  way  a  good 
many  Ojibway  words ;  but  boys  and  girls 
both  smelled  so  strongly  of  fish-oil,  and 
were  so  wonderfully  dirty,  that  he  could 
not  like  them.  Two  or  three  whom  Mr. 
Wright  had  taken  into  the  family,  were  a 
little  cleaner,  being  obliged  to  wash  their 
faces  every  day,  and  they  sometimes  spoke 
a  few  English  words  when  alone  with  him, 
though  never  when  any  other  Indian  was 
near.  J  will  tell  you  why. 

An  Indian  dreads  being  laughed  at 
more  than  any  other  thing  in  this  world, 
and  Mr.  Wright,  in  talking  of  them  to  Mrs. 
Prescott,  told  her  this  was  the  great  reason 
why  the  missionaries,  though  living  among 
them  for  many  years,  had  been  able  to  do 
so  little  good.  If  an  Indian  became  a 
Christian,  the  whole  tribe  jeered  at  him 
for  leaving  the  faith  of  his  fathers.  If 
they  learned  and  spoke  any  English,  they 
laughed  again,  saying  the  Great  Spirit 
had  given  them  a  good  language,  and  did 
not  want  His  children  to  speak  any  other. 
If  a  white  man's  tools  were  used,  or  work 
done  as  they  did;  or  if  one  learned  to 
read  and  write,  many  were  against  him, 
above  all  the  Medicine  men,  who  live  on 


78  WHITE   AND    RED. 

the  superstitions  of  the  Indians,  and,  hav- 
ing wonderful  influence  over  them,  can 
almost  always  succeed  in  undoing  the 
greater  part  of  what  the  missionaries  have 
tried  to  do. 

The  Pillagers  of  Leech  Lake  are,  as  I 
have  told  you,  the  worst  among  all  the 
different  Ojibway  bands,  never  telling  the 
truth  under  any  circumstances,  and  steal- 
ing even  from  one  another,  which  is  very 
unusual  among  Indians.  Men  whose  bad 
deeds  have  driven  them  out  from  other 
bands,  come  to  the  Pillagers,  sure  of  a  wel- 
come. Many  are  too  lazy  even  to  hunt, 
and  sit  all  day  before  the  fire,  sometimes 
all  night  too,  gambling,  and  beating  the 
small  drums,  which  one  of  the  number 
always  does  at  such  times,  only  stopping 
to  eat  the  fish  or  dried  meat  which  the 
hard-working  women  have  prepared. 

Mrs.  Prescott,  who  had  meant  in  this 
waiting  time  to  go  about  a  good  deal,  and 
learn  all  she  could  of  their  ways,  found 
that,  between  gambling,  vermin,  and  dirt, 
the  wigwams  were  places  they  had  better 
keep  away  from,  and  charged  Harry  never 
to  enter  one,  unless  he  went  with  the 
engineer  or  Mr.  Wright. 

Dr.  Prescott  was  away  more  than  a 
week  not  getting  back  till  the  fifth  of 


WHITE   AND   RED.  79 

December ;  and  even  then  was  forced  to 
walk  all  the  way  from  Crow  Wing,  —  the 
only  team  he  could  get  being  too  heavily 
loaded  to  allow  of  any  one's  riding.  More 
trouble  seemed  in  prospect,  too.  Though 
the  ice  on  the  lakes  was  now  thick  enough 
to  bear  a  team,  and  thirty  miles  of  the 
journey  could  be  made  on  them,  still,  snow 
had  been  falling  so  heavily,  that  the  road 
beyond,  at  the  best  of  times  only  a  track, 
would  now  be  almost  impassable,  and  not 
one  of  the  regular  teamsters  would  go 
through  at  any  price. 

"  Bunga  may  help  you  out,"  said  Mr. 
Wright,  to  whom  Dr.  Prescott  had  been 
talking.  "  He  trades  up  there,  you  know, 
and  means  to  send  a  load  up  very  soon. 
He  may  take  you  and  some  of  your  things, 
and  Oliver  will  see  to  the  rest,  for  he  goes 
up  in  a  fortnight  I  believe." 

So  Dr.  Prescott  went  over  to  the  trading- 
post,  where  Bunga  lived,  coming  back  in 
an  hour  or  two  in  good  spirits.  Bunga's 
team  was  to  start  the  next  morning ;  a 
small  box-sled,  drawn  by  two  Indian 
ponies,  under  the  care  of  Paul  Boulanger, 
a  half-breed.  Bunga  assured  him  that 
they  need  camp  out  but  one  night,  as  the 
first  one  they  could  spend  in  a  house  on 
Cass  Lake  Island ;  the  second  in  the  hard 


80  WHITE   AND   RED.  « 

woods ;  and  the  afternoon  of  the  third  day, 
at  latest,  would  find  them  at  Red  Lake. 
The  half-breed  was  to  furnish  his  own  pro- 
visions, food  for  his  horses,  etc.,  and  to 
take  them,  and  not  over  six  hundred 
pounds  of  their  goods. 

"  We  will  take  four,  days'  provisions,  so 
as  to  be  quite  safe,"  said  Dr.  Prescott ; 
"  and  now,  as  the  most  of  our  things  are 
to  go  by  Oliver,  we  must  decide  what  we 
had  better  take  with  us.  Suppose  we  go 
out  to  the  warehouse,  and  look  over  the 
boxes." 

This  took  some  time ;  but  finally  the 
smaller  boxes  were  put  in  order  for  Bou- 
langer  to  pack  them  in  his  sled,  and  the 
cooking-stove,  packs  of  flour,  and  other 
heavy  things,  covered  up  in  one  corner, 
ready  for  Oliver,  when  he  should  go  up. 
His  wife  baked  bread  and  fried  doughnuts 
for  them,  and  by  evening  every  prepara- 
tion was  finished,  and  they  were  quite 
ready  for  the  morrow's  journey. 

Friday  morning,  Harry,  dressed,  as  he 
said,  in  "  four  pair  of  everything,"  found 
the  house  too  warm  for  him,  and  went  out- 
doors to  watch  for  Boulanger,  who  came 
about  nine.  An  hour  was  spent  in  loading, 
and  it  was  not  till  nearly  ten  that  they 
were  quite  ready  to  start ;  Mrs.  Prescott 


WHITE   AND    RED.  81 

and  Harry  sitting  on  a  feather-bed,  and 
wrapped  in  heavy  Mackinaw  blankets ; 
Dr.  Prescott  on  the  trunk  in  front,  up  to 
his  eyes  in  buffalo  overcoat ;  and  Boulan- 
ger,  with  axe  over  his  shoulder,  going  in 
advance  to  sound  the  ice,  and  thus  prevent 
their  getting  on  any  weak  places.  He 
went  on  a  curious  little  jog-trot,  keeping 
easily  ahead  of  the  horses,  and  Dr.  Prescott 
said  that  all  the  half-breeds  travelled  in 
this  way,  sometimes  sixty  and  seventy 
miles  a  day,  when  carrying  important 
messages,  and  that  they  never  seemed 
tired,  no  matter  how  steadily  they  had  kept 
it  up. 

The  ponies  trotted  fast  over  the  smooth 
ice,  and  though  a  loud  crack  sometimes 
startled  mamma  and  Harry,  they  were 
soon  used  to  it.  The  thermometer  had 
stood  at  fourteen  below  zero  when  they 
started,  but  they  were  too  well  wrapped  up 
to  feel  the  cold,  and  were  surprised  when 
one  o'clock  came,  and  they  stopped  for 
dinner. 

Boulanger  cut  a  hole  in  the  ice,  where 
the  horses  drank,  and  from  the  same  place 
brought  a  p'ail  of  water  for  the  tea  ;  then, 
as  the  provisions  were  taken  out,  looked 
through  the  sled  a  moment,  and  sat  down 
by  the  fire,  sighing  deeply. 


82  WHITE   AND   RED. 

"What  is  the  matter?"  Dr.  Prescott 
asked.  Boulanger  began  a  long  explana- 
tion, the  sum  of  which  was,  that  he  had 
forgotten  his  bag  of  crackers,  and  had 
nothing  to  eat  unless  Monsieur  was  kind, 
and  shared  with  him  as  a  brother. 

Dr.  Prescott  had  been  with  half-breeds 
enough  to  know  that,  in  lying  and  cheat- 
ing, they  go  beyond  even  a  Pillager,  and 
was  thus  sure  that  the  bag  had  been  left 
behind  purposely,  or  never  made  ready  at 
all.  There  was  no  help  for  it  though,  and 
crackers  were  given,  Dr.  Prescott  telling 
him  they  had  but  four  days'  provisions, 
and  that  at  Cass  Lake  he  must  buy  for 
himself,  or  go  without.  At  two  they  went 
on,  reaching  the  first  portage,  thai  is,  the 
land  between  Leech  and  Cass  lakes,  about 
three.  Here  trouble » began.  The  road 
across  had  been  marked  out  by  the  cut- 
ting down  of  trees  in  the  thick  forest,  so 
,  that  a  wagon  could  pass  along ;  but  the 
stumps  remained,  and  no  track,  save  that 
of  an  occasional  train,  had  ever  been 
made.  Eed  Lake  is  off  from  all  known 
lines  of  travel ;  and  the  country  near, 
given  up  to  Indians,  required  no  road, 
save  at  payment  time,  when  goods '  were 
taken  up. 

Over  these  stumps  a  wagon  with  its  high 


WHITE  AND   RED.  83 

body  could  easily  go ;  but  with  a  sled,  only 
a  few  inches  from  the  ground,  'twas  quite 
different ;  and  almost  as  they  touched  land 
again,  they  found  themselves  stuck  on  one, 
from  which  no  pulling  or  backing  could 
free  them. 

"  Sac  rrrreCrrr  apaud  ! "  Boulan- 
ger  roared,  with  each  blow  of  his  whip, 
but  it  was  no  use.  Dr.  Prescott  jumped 
off,  and  together  they  tried  to  lift  the  sled, 
and  push  it.  either  forward  or  back, — 
finding  at  last,  that  the  only  way  would 
be  to  cut  poles,  and  pry  it  off 

Half  an  hour  was  spent  in  this  way,  and 
then  they  started  again,  Boulanger  still 
going  ahead  and  chopping  off  the  sharp 
ends  of  the  tallest  stumps,  thus  enabling 
them  to  go  perhaps  a  mile  farther,  when 
they  were  pinned  once  more.  This  time, 
getting  on  his  knees,  he  contrived  to  chop 
away  the  sharp  point  which  held  them  ; 
but  as  the  horses  went  on  again,  pointed 
to  an  opening  under  three  or  four  great 
trees,  and  said  in  French,  — 

"  A  good  place  for  camp  ;  here  we  rest 
at  present." 

"  No,"  said  Dr.  Prescott  "  You  are  to 
go  on  to  Cass  Lake  to-night" 

u  Impossible,  quite ;  Monsieur  does  not 
feel  how  the  horses  have  worked.  It  is 


84  WHITE    AND    RED. 

still  nine  miles  to  the  house  on  the  Lake  ; 
night  will  come,  and  Monsieur  and  his 
amiable  lady,  fall,  perhaps,  in  a  hole,  and, 
alas !  drown,"  and  Boulanger  looked  so 
miserable,  that  Dr.  Prescott,  who  had  never 
been  over  this  road  before,  having  made 
his  journey  to  and  from  Red  Lake  by 
canoe,  hesitated.  He  knew  this  portage 
was  seven  miles  long ;  that  there  must  be 
at  least  three  more  to  go  before  reaching 
the  lake,  which  it  would  hardly  be  safe  to 
cross  at  night,  when  the  air-holes  could 
not  be  seen.  It  was  now  after  sunset,  and 
so,  very  unwillingly,  he  set  about  clearing 
away  the  snow  from  their  camping-ground, 
while  Boulanger  unharnessed  the  horses, 
and  gave  them  the  hay  which  had  been 
tied  on  the  back  of  the  sled.  Harry  and 
his  mother  sat  still  till  the  fire  began  to 
burn,  and  then  climbing  down,  pulled  off 
sprays  from  the  branches  of  a  fallen  pine- 
tree,  and  strewed  them  thickly  over  the 
cleared  space.  No  water  being  near  to- 
night, they  melted  snow  for  the  tea ;  and 
finding  the  bread  to  be  frozen  hard,  thawed 
it  by  putting  it  on  a  pine-branch  before 
the  fire.  After  supper  they  cut  poles  and 
set  up  the  tent,  which  they  found  must  be 
so  far  from  the  fire,  to  keep  sparks  from 
falling  on  it,  that  they  would  perhaps  suf- 


WHITE   AND    BED.  85 

fer  with  cold  before  morning.  The  night 
was  clear,  the  stars  shining  brightly,  and 
mamma  said  she  thought  they  would  be 
quite  as  comfortable  without  the  tent ;  so 
Dr.  Prescott  stretched  a  blanket  to  keep 
off  the  wind ;  brought  the  bed  from  the 
sled,  and  laid  it  on  the  pine-boughs ;  put  a 
shawl  on  the  cracker-sack  for  a  pillow,  and 
soon  they  were  settled  for  the  night. 

Boulanger  had,  they  found,  forgotten 
his  blanket  as  well  as  his  provisions,  and 
had  only  a  miserable  little  one  made  of 
rabbit-skins.  So  they  were  obliged  to  give 
one  of  their  nice  ones,  in  which  he  rolled 
himself  up  with  great  satisfaction,  and  was 
sound  asleep  at  once.  Harry  followed 
next,  and  knew  nothing  more  till  next 
morning,  when,  half-asleep  and  half-awake, 
he  felt  something  settle  on  his  face.  "A 
fly,"  he  thought,  without  opening  his  eyes, 
and  brushed  it  away,  to  feel  another 
directly.  He  sat  up  now,  and  looked 
around.  What  a  sight !  The  fire  burned 
dimly ;  near  it  lay  Boulanger,  so  covered 
with  freshly-fallen  snow,  that  Harry  could 
not  tell  which  was  head  and  which  feet ; 
and  all  over  their  own  bed  it  lay  an  inch 
or  two  deep.  Harry  stood  up  and  began 
to  brush  it  away,  waking  papa,  who  sprang 
up  at  once;  and  pulling  the  brands  to- 


86  WHITE   AND   BED. 

gether,  and  throwing  on  a  fresh  log,  soon 
had  a  blazing  fire,  on  which  the  snow- 
flakes  made  no  impression. 

It  was  hard  to  rouse  Boulanger,  who 
grumbled  at  everything  when  he  did  roll 
out  from  his  blankets,  and  kept  them  wait- 
ing long  after  the  rather  forlorn  breakfast 
was  over,  while  he  fussed  about  the  horses. 
At  last  they  were  off,  and  then  began 
again  the  trouble  of  yesterday.  A  dozen 
times  the  sled  caught  on  stumps,  and  when 
they  reached  the  lake  it  was  almost  noon ; 
the  snow  still  falling  fast,  and  everything 
and  everybody  in  the  sled  covered  with  it. 
A  keen  wind  blew  over  the  lake.  Mamma 
pulled  the  blankets  over  her  own  and 
Harry's  head,  but  papa,  who  must  drive, 
had  no  such  protection ;  and  when,  at  two 
o'clock,  they  reached  the  other  side  of 
Cass  Lake,  and  saw  the  island  near  shore, 
and  the  log  houses  on  it,  he  was  numb 
with  cold. 

Pillagers,  who  had  been  watching  the 
sled  coming  over  the  ice,  were  on  the 
shore  as  they  stopped ;  and  Dr.  Prescott, 
telling  Boulanger  that  if  any  part  of  the 
load  were  missing  when  they  came  back, 
it  should  be  taken  out  of  his  pay,  hurried 
them  up  to  the  house,  too  thankful  at 
finding  shelter  and  warmth,  to  care  for 


WHITE   AND    RED.  87 

the  crowd  of  smoking  Indians  all  about. 
There  were  two  chairs  and  a  bed  here,  for 
the  owner  of  the  house  was  a  half-bree,d, 
and  lived  a  little  —  a  very  little,  as  you 
will  see  —  like  a  white  man. 

The  clay  chimney  was  in  one  corner  of 
the  room,  and  over  the  roaring  fire  the 
two  squaws  began  at  once  to  boil  fish  and 
potatoes  in  one  pail,  and  water  for  the  tea 
in  the  other.  From  a  hole  behind  the 
chimney  they  took  some  tin  plates  and 
spoons,  and  a  few  pint  basins ;  spread  a 
rush  mat  on  the  floor,  and  arranged  them 
on  it  in  order,  putting  in  the  middle  a 
large  tin  pan,  into  which,  when  they  were 
cooked,  they  ladled  the  fish  and  pota- 
toes; saying,  "  Weesinna,  neechee  "  (Eat, 
friends). 

There  were  no  knives  or  forks ;  and 
Mrs.  Prescott,  after  one  little  look  at  her 
husband,  sat  down  on  the  mat  and  began 
to  peel  a  potato  with  her  fingers,  while  he 
put  some  of  the  fish  on  her  plate.  One  of 
the  women  brought  a  cake  of  bread, 
baked  in  the  ashes  but  tasting  sweet  and 
good ;  and  taking  a  tin  cup,  went  out, 
coming  back  soon  with  some  milk,  warm 
from  the  cow.  which  made  their  tea  much 
better.  There  was  maple  sugar  for  it,  too, 
and  salt  for  the  fish ;  and  altogether,  the 


88  WHITE   AND   BED. 

dinner  tasted  very  good,  though  every  bit 
of  it  was  eaten  with  the  fingers,  which 
had  to  be  washed  in  snow,  and  wiped  on 
a  handkerchief. 

Boulanger  told  them,  when  he  had 
eaten  enough  for  any  three  men,  that  he 
had  lost  off  the  rest  of  the  hay,  and  a 
keg  of  powder,  which  must  have  dropped 
somewhere  on  the  portage,  and  that  he 
must  go  back,  to  Leech  Lake,  if  necessary, 
in  order  to  find  it,  as  he  would  have  to 
pay  George  Bunga  its  value,  if  he  did  not. 
This  was  too  much.  Dr.  Prescott  told 
him  it  was  his  business  to  see  that  the 
load  was  properly  fastened  on,  and  that 
he  would  not  return ;  at  which  Boulanger, 
who  had,  until  now,  had  no  trouble  in 
understanding  all  that  was  said  to  him, 
declared  that  Dr.  Prescott's  French  and 
Ojibway  he  knew  nothing  about,  and  that 
he  should  go  back  at  once.  Finally,  on 
being  told  that  if  he  would  go  on  without 
more  trouble,  a  part  of  the  loss  should  be 
made  up,  and  a  letter  written  to  Bunga, 
explaining  it,  he  went  down  to  his  horses. 

Then  came  another  battle  with  the 
half-breed,  who  wanted  ten  dollars  for  the 
dinner  and  two  bundles  of  hay.  Like 
Boulanger,  he  suddenly  found  it  impos- 
sible to  understand;  and  declared,  finally, 


WHITE   AND    RED.  89 

putting  his  hand  on  his  long  knife, 
that  he  would  use  it  if  the  money  were 
not  paid  at  once.  The  Indians,  who  had 
before  sat  silent,  staring  at  the  white 
medicine  man,  gathered  about,  siding  with 
the  half-breed ;  but  drew  back  as  Dr.  Pres- 
cott  threatened  them  with  the  Ogema's, 
or  Major's,  anger,  if  they  said  anything. 
The  half-breed  at  last  agreed  to  take 
seven  dollars,  throwing  in  two  cakes  of 
bread,  and  followed  them  down  to  the 
sled,  wishing  them  a  good  journey.  The 
house  had  proved  to  be  no  place  to  stay 
at  for  the  night,  as  they  had  planned,  and 
they  were  glad  to  get  once  more  on  the 
sled.  Three  or  four  squaws  stood  about 
it ;  and  a  tin  pail,  which  had  been  in  the 
bottom,  between  some  boxes,  stood  now 
on  the  bed. 

"  What  does  this  mean  ? "  Dr.  Prescott 
said  in  Ojibway;  and  Boulanger,  who 
could  understand  perfectly  now,  answered, 
pointing  to  some  Indian  dogs  on  the 
hill,— 

"  The  dogs,  Monsieur.  They  have  smelled 
the  cheese  within ;  and  as  I  bring  down 
my  hay,  I  regard  them  leaping  at  the  pail. 
I  fly  upon  them ;  it  is  too  late ;  the  cheese 
is  fallen  ;  and  behold,  Monsieur,  how  it  is 
eaten ! " 


90  WHITE   AND    RED. 

Truly,  the  heart  of  the  cheese  was 
gone ;  but  it  was  strange  how  much  more 
like  fingers  than  teeth  the  marks  upon  it 
seemed.  There  was  nothing  to  be  said, 
however;  and  thankful  to  get  away  so 
easily,  they  started  on.  One  mile  more 
of  the  lake,  and  then  they  reached  the 
road,  fifty  miles  of  which  must  be  gone 
over  before  Red  Lake  could  be  seen. 
Thirty-five  lay  behind  them ;  and.  glad 
that  even  so  much  of  the  journey  was 
over,  they  camped  at  night,  this  time 
sleeping  under  the  tent. 

When  morning  came  the  sun  was  shin- 
ing, and  the  air  not  so  cold  as  the  day  be- 
fore, but  going  on  was  weary  work.  A 
constant  catching  on  stumps  ;  huge  trees 
blown  across  the  road  in  many  places,  so 
that  they  were  forced  to  go  round  through 
the  woods  the  best  way  they  could ;  and 
were  almost  discouraged  when  night 
came,  by  finding  they  were  only  ten 
miles  from  Cass  Lake.  Boulanger,  too, 
began  to  talk  of  a  river  they  would  come 
to  the  next  morning,  which  might  or 
might  not  be  frozen  hard  enough  to  bear 
them,  and  things  began  to  look  a  little 
dark. 

"  Why  do  you  not  cook  some  of  your 
pork,  Boulanger?"  Dr.  Prescott  asked, 


WHITE   AND    RED.  91 

next  morning,  knowing  that  the  fifteen 
pounds,  intended  as  part  pay,  were  in  the 
bottom  of  the  sled. 

"  But,  Monsieur,  I  have  nothing  to  cook 
it  in." 

"  A  stick  will  do  very  well,  and  the  fat 
can  drop  on  your  cracker." 

Boulanger  looked  up  sadly. 

"But,  Monsieur,  there  is  no  more  any 
pork." 

"  What  have  you  done  with  it  ? "  Dr. 
Prescott  said,  sternly. 

"  I,  Monsieur  ?  nothing ;  but  the  horses ; 
ah !  the  greedy  reptiles ;  they  have  eaten 
it  in  the  night." 

"  Very  well,"  said  Dr.  Prescott.  "  The 
pork  was  yours ;  you  or  your  horses  could 
eat  it,  as  you  pleased." 

This  was  a  new  view  of  the  case  to 
Boulanger,  who  had  thought  he  should 
get  another  fifteen  pounds  at  once,  and 
who  now  shrugged  his  shoulders,  but 
could  think  of  no  lie  which  would  help 
him  at  all.  So  breakfast  was  eaten  with- 
out pork,  the  usual  loading  and  tying  on 
gone  through  with,  and  the  fourth  day's 
journey  began.  Harry  tried  once  or  twice 
to  walk,  but  the  deep  snow  made  it  very 
hard,  and  he  was  glad  to  get  back  to  the 
sled  and  roll  himself  in  a  blanket.  Hardly 


92  WHITE  AND   RED. 

an  hour  had  passed,  when  Boulanger,  who 
had  been  some  distance  ahead,  came  run- 
ning back,  the  picture  of  despair. 

"Hi,  hi,  hi!"  he  called;  that  being 
the  half-breed  exclamation,  when  just 
ready  to  give  up  everything.  "  Hi,  hi,  hi ! 
the  river,  Monsieur,  is  open ;  it  is  deep, 
and  the  load  heavy.  We  shall  never 
cross  j  we  must  return ! "  and  he  took 
hold  of  the  horses'  heads,  as  if  to  turn 
them. 

"Take  care  there,"  Dr.  Prescott  said 
sharply,  urging  on  the  horses,  and  coming 
soon  to  the  top  of  a  little  hill,  at  the  foot 
of  which  rolled  the  river,  narrow,  but 
deep ;  no  bridge,  and  snow  drifted  along 
the  reedy,  marshy  shore,  so  that  it  would 
be  hard  to  tell  where  sure  footing  was  to 
be  found.  You  will  wonder  at  hearing 
that  it  was  not  firmly  frozen  over,  but  the 
current  is  so  swift  and  strong,  that  in  the 
coldest  weather,  this  river,  and  many 
others  about  Red  Lake,  are  almost  open ; 
and  as  none  of  them  have  bridges,  cross- 
ing is  not  only  difficult,  but  dangerous. 
Mamma  had  not  lost  courage  for  a  mo- 
ment,—  "Can't  you  cut  down  a  tree  for 
a  bridge  ? "  she  said.  "  There  is  one 
close  to  the  bank,  and  Harry  and  I  can 
go  over  on  that" 


WHITE   AND    RED.  93 

"  The  best  thing  to  be  done,  I  believe," 
said  Dr.  Prescott;  while  Boulanger,  slap- 
ping his  breast,  stared  at  the  river,  con- 
tinually crying,  "  Hi,  hi,  hi !  Sunny- 
gert !  Tiyah  !  "  which  means  that  things 
are  just  as  bad  as  they  can  be,  and  no- 
body had  better  do  anything.  "  But  the 
load.  Monsieur,"  he  went  on,  as  Dr.  Pres- 
cott  took  out  his  axe.  "  The  amiable 
lady  ;  the  little,  little  boxes ;  the  cher- 
ished son." 

"  The  amiable  lady  will  walk  over  on  a 
log;  and  the  little,  little  boxes,  on  our 
backs,"  said  Dr.  Prescott.  Mamma,  who 
had  been  translating  to  Harry,  for  all  this 
talk  was  in  French,  laughed  till  some 
tears  had  frozen  on  her  cheeks,  while 
papa  walked  down  the  bank,  followed 
sulkily  by  Boulanger,  both  sinking,  in 
some  places,  up  to  their  waists.  Footing 
around  the  great  pine  was  quite  firm ; 
and  Boulanger,  finding  that  the  river  must 
be  crossed,  grew  cheerful,  and  chopped 
with  a  will.  Mamma  and  Harry,  at  the 
top  of  the  hill,  watched  the  chips  fly,  and 
the  great  tree  bend  over,  till,  with  one 
crashing  sweep  through  the  air,  it  fell, 
Boulanger  running  out  on  it,  cut'  ing  off 
branches  as  he  went,  and  dancing  up  and 
down  at  the  other  end,  to  see  that  it  was 


94  WHITE   AND    RED. 

firm  in  the  snow.  Then  he  ran  back, 
and  with  Dr.  Fresco tt,  stamped  down  the 
snow  all  the  way  up  to  the  sled,  so  that 
mamma  and  Harry  had  a  good  path  to 
the  log,  which  they  crossed  without 
trouble,  papa  leading  them  over,  one  at  a 
time.  Boulanger,  holding  a  balance-pole 
in  one  hand,  trotted  after  with  the  bed 
and  blankets ;  a  fire  was  built,  and  they 
sat  down  comfortably,  to  wait  till  all  was 
ready  for  another  start.  The  u  little,  lit- 
tle boxes"  were  easily  managed,  being 
slung  over  their  shoulders  by  some  rope  ; 
but  the  heavier  ones  needed  two  to  carry 
them,  and  Dr.  Prescott  and  Boulanger 
both  very  nearly  rolled  from  the  log  into 
the  river  several  times.  At  last  the 
greater  part  of  the  load  was  over,  only 
some  things  remaining  in  the  sled,  which 
water  would  not  hurt.  The  ponies  looked 
very  doubtful  as  Boulanger  led  them  down 
the  hill;  and  more  so,  when,  getting  into 
the  sled,  he  urged  them  on.  They  snort- 
ed and  kicked,  but  yielding  at  last,  floun- 
dered into  the  river  and  swam  over,  Bou- 
langer snapping  his  whip,  and  yelling, 
"  Sac  r  r  r  r  e  ! "  till  they  were  on  the 
other  side.  Here  was  a  deep  drift  of 
snow  and  ice ;  and  as  they  plunged 
through  it  and  went  to  the  road,  a  loud 


WHITE   AND   RED.  95 

crack  was  heard,  and  the  body  of  the  sled 
slipped  one  side. 

"  Ah,  ta ! "  Boulanger  cried,  dancing 
about,  while  tears  ran  down  his  face.  "  My 
sleigh  it  is  broken.  Ah,  hi,  hi,  hi !  Now 
we  go  on  no  more.  0  !  this  terrible  Doc- 
tor, who  would  cross !  Ah,  hi,  hi !  " 

The  "  terrible  Doctor"  examined  the  sled, 
finding  that  the  wooden  pegs  which  held 
the  body  on,  had  broken  off  on  one  side. 
Luckily  an  auger  was  in  one  of  the  boxes ; 
and  telling  Boulanger  to  stop  crying  and 
attend  to  his  horses,  Dr.  Prescott  went  to 
work  boring  new  holes,  cutting  new  pegs,' 
and  in  an  hour  had  all  in  good  order 
again.  It  was  past  noon  now,  so  they 
made  tea,  and  took  dinner  here,  finding, 
when  they  drove  on  again,  fewer  stumps 
than  the  day  before.  Just  before  dark 
they  came  to  the  top  of  a  hill,  where 
stood,  side  by  side,  two  immense  Norway 
pines ;  and  here  papa  stopped  the  horses 
while  Mrs.  Prescott  read  the  lettering  on 
each. 

"  Twenty  miles  to  Red  Lake?  on  one ;  on 
the  other,  "Top  of  the  tvorld" 

"  What  does  that  mean  ?  "Why  is  it  the 
top  of  the  world  ?  "  Harry  asked. 

"  Because  from  this  point,"  Dr.  Prescott 
said,  "  rivers  flow  two  ways  :  those  behind 


96  WHITE   AND   RED. 

us,  south,  to  the  Valley  of  the  Mississippi, 
and  thence  to  the  Atlantic ;  all  beyond 
here,  northward,  into  Hudson's  Bay,  and 
the  Arctic  Ocean.  The  surveyors .  who 
laid  out  this  line  of  road,  two  years  ago, 
marked  these  trees,  and  their  names  are 
all  written  on  the  other  side.  So  it  is 
true,  that  at  this  moment,  we  are  on  the 
tiptop  of  the  world." 

"  Hurrah  !  "  Harry  shouted ;  and  back 
on  the  wind  came  a  deep  sound,  which 
mad6  him  start.  "  Is  it  wolves  ? "  he 
said. 

"  Dogs,  I  think,"  Dr.  Prescott  answered, 
going  on.  "  Yes  it  is,"  as  the  sound  came 
again,  this  time  very  plainly,  a  tremen- 
dously deep  bow-wow-wow.  "  There  must 
be  a  dog  train  on  the  way  down." 

Almost  as  he  spoke,  they  saw  the  light 
of  a  camp-fire,  a  tall  Indian  by  it,  and  near 
him  three  dogs,  looking  to  Harry  like 
lions,  with  their  great  heads,  and  long, 
shaggy  hair. 

"  It  is  Little  Thunder,"  said  papa,  quite 
pleased  ;  "  one  of  the  best  men  at  Red 
Lake.  He  is  a  chief,  and  his  Indian  name 
is  Que  wee  ah." 

"  He's  handsome,"  said  Harry ;  and 
mamma  looked  in  surprise  at  the  tall, 
stately  man,  who  came  forward,  quite  as 


WHITE   AND   RED.  97 

pleased  as  Dr.  Prescott,  and  shook  hands 
heartily  with  all  of  them.  His  wife,  almost 
as  tall  as  he,  was  cutting  down  some  trees 
for  the  night,  but  soon  came  back  to  get 
supper,  and  they  found  themselves  in  the 
most  comfortable  quarters  they  had  had 
since  camping  with  the  Major.  Que  wee 
ah  treated  them  as  guests  ;  seated  them  on 
his  largest  rush  mat ;  and,  though  glad  of 
some  of  their  bread,  would  take  nothing 
else,  but  gave  them  boiled  white-fish  and 
maple  sugar  for  their  tea.  Dr.  Prescott 
knew  just  enough  Ojibway  to  understand 
that  Boulanger  was  telling  a  pitiful  story  of 
the  wicked  treatment  he  had  received  on 
the  way  up ;  but  Que  wee  ah  only  smiled, 
and  shrugged  his  shoulders,  as  the  tale 
ended. 

"  Big  mouth ;  talk  much !  "  he  said  in 
English.  "  No  talk  good  ;  no  good  man." 

Harry  looked  up  quickly  on  hearing 
English ;  but  Que  wee  ah,  laughing  a  little, 
would  say  no  more  except  in  Ojibway, 
and  went  on  smoking. 

"He  understands  English  very  well,'* 
said  Dr.  Prescott,  "but  this  is  the  first 
time  I  ever  heard  him  speak  it,"  and  then 
he  went  on  talking  to  him  in  that  lan- 
guage, but  getting  only  Ojibway  answers. 
The  great  dogs,  who  had  each  had  a  fish, 


98  WHITE   AND    RED. 

lay  by  the  fire,  winking  lazily ;  and  the 
little  o  ta  ban,  or  flat-train,  which  held  the 
provisions  and  other  things,  and  which 
they  had  dragged  all  day,  leaned  now 
against  a  tree.  Little  Thunder  said  they 
were  on  their  way  to  Lake  Superior,  to 
see  some  relations,  but  that  the  snow  was 
getting  so  deep,  he  thought  they  might 
have  to  turn  back.  As  he  talked,  Mrs. 
Little  Thunder  strewed  pine  boughs  for 
the  bed,  and  soon  they  all  lay  down  for 
the  night 

Harry  watched  the  harnessing  of  the 
dogs  next  morning.  They  growled  and 
snapped,  and  had  to  be  dragged  to  their 
places  in  which  they  were  held  by  ropes 
of  twisted  skin,  fastened  to  collars  about 
their  necks,  and  then  to  the  train.  They 
went  off  with  heads  down,  followed  closely 
by  Mrs.  Little  Thunder,  holding  a  long 
stick  in  her  hand,  with  which  to  guide 
them. 

Through  the  morning,  the  road  seemed 
so  good  that  they  almost  hoped  to  get 
through  to  the  Lake  that  day ;  but  after- 
noon ended  any  such  thought,  for  about 
two  they  came  to  another  river,  a  very 
small  one,  over  which  lay  two  trees,  mak- 
ing a  good  foot-bridge,  but  through  which 
the  horses  must  swim.  Then  came  the 


WHITE   AND    RED.  99 

weary  work  of  unloading,  and  carrying 
everything  to  the  other  side.  This  went 
well,  however ;  the  horses  got  through 
bravely ;  they  loaded  once  more,  and  went 
on  for  a  mile  or  two,  when  a  stump, 
harder  and  sharper  than  all  the  rest,  not 
only  caught  them,  but  would  not  let  go. 
Prying  and  pulling  were  useless:  more  un- 
loading came ;  and  when  the  sled  was  lifted 
off,  they  found  it  so  broken  about  the 
tongue,  that  it  would  be  impossible  to  take 
on  any  load  in  it.  Still  nine  miles  from 
the  Lake ;  to  walk  there  was  out  of  the 
question,  even  could  Boulanger  have  been 
trusted  with  the  boxes ;  and  papa,  feeling 
that  this  last  trouble  was  almost  too  much 
for  mamma  and  poor  little  Harry,  was  try- 
ing, as  well  as  Boulanger's  lamentations 
would  let  him,  to  think  what  had  better 
be  done,  wfren  the  welcome  sound  of 
"  Gee-haw ! "  was  heard,  and  four  oxen, 
drawing  a  long  sled,  came  in  sight,  guided 
by  a  half-breed,  whom  Dr.  Prescott  knew 
at  once  as  Neddo  Cotinasse,  the  farmer's 
man.  Neddo,  after  listening  to  the  story 
of  their  troubles,  said  he  could  not  go  back 
with  them  himself  as  he  was  on  his  way 
to  Leech  Lake,  to  bring  up  the  farmer's 
winter  provisions  ;  but  that  he  would  take 
one  of  the  ponies,  ride  back  as  fast  as  pos- 


100  WHITE    AND    BED. 

sible,  and  engage  an  Indian  who  had  two 
oxen,  to  come  down  at  once.  So  he 
mounted  and  rode  away,  and  our  party 
went  into  camp,  making  themselves  as 
comfortable  as  they  could. 

Neddo  did  not  return  till  evening,  but 
said  then  that  young  Quay  wa  sauce 
would  be  down  early  next  morning. 

The  night  was  a  miserable  one,  each 
hour  growing  colder  and  colder ;  and  next 
morning  Boulanger  did  his  best  to  per- 
suade Neddo  to  start  back  at  once  with 
him  to  Leech  Lake,  leaving  Dr.  Prescott  in 
camp  till  Quay  wa  sauce  should  come. 
This  Neddo  would  not  do  ;  and  they  waited 
till  nearly  ten,  when  the  new  team  came. 
Then  there  was  more  loading,  and  another 
attempt  at  starting  ;  only  an  attempt,  for. 
with  the  first  pull  on  the  forlorn  old  sled, 
snap  went  the  tongue,  and  the  oxen 
walked  quietly  off,  dragging  it  after  them. 

Evidently  the  load  was  never  to  get 
through  on  this  sled.  Neddo  had  gone 
on  with  Boulanger,  and  Dr.  Prescott  ran 
after  them,  explaining  the  trouble,  and 
telling  Boulanger  that  as  he  had  agreed  to 
go  through  to  Red  Lake,  he  must  take  part 
of  the  load,  and  Neddo  the  rest.  This 
Neddo,  urged  by  Boulanger,  refused  to  do ; 
and  Dr.  Prescott  went  on,  offering  him  one 


WHITE   AND    RED.  '  101 

sum  after  another  till  the  amount  reached 
ten  dollars,  Boulanger  assuring  him  all  the 
way,  that  the  Doctor  was  a  wicked  man, 
who  would  never  pay  him  one  penny. 

The  new  team  was  going  on  to  Red 
Lake.  Mamma  and  Harry,  numb  with 
cold,  sat  in  the  sled  ;  and  Boulanger,  com- 
fortably settled  in  the  bottom  of  Neddo's, 
his  horses  tied  at  one  side,  and  his  .<k-d 
fastened  behind,  struck  the  oxen  and  urged 
them  on. 

"  Once  more,  Neddo,"  said  Dr.  Prescott, 
slowly,  "  I  offer  you  ten  dollars  and  a 
blanket,  if  you  go  back.  What  is  your 
answer  ? " 

Boulanger  whispered  something.  Ned- 
do  hesitated  a  moment ;  then,  with  face 
turned  away,  said,  —  "  It  is  quite  impossi- 
ble, Monsieur.  Boulanger  wishes  to  re- 
turn with  me.*  You  can  walk,  leaving  your 
goods  with  Quay  wa  sauce,  and  some  one 
will  return  for  them.  It  is  not  so  far,  even 
for  Madame." 

Neddo  looked  up  very  suddenly,  for  Dr. 
Prescott's  pistol  was  in  his  hand,  and  his 
eyes  flashed  dangerously,  as  he  said, — 
"  Turn  your  oxen  ! " 

Boulanger's  hand  went  to  his  knife. 

"  Have  a  care  there,"  said  the  Doctor ; 
"  not  one  word  from  you !  Neddo,  I  did 


102  WHITE   AND    RED. 

not  think  you  the  man  to  leave  a  woman 
and  child  to  perish  in  the  cold.  Turn 
your  oxen,  sir,  or  you  know  what  will 
make  you." 

"  He  shall  not,  then,"  Boulanger  cried, 
springing  up.  "  Ah  !  you  would  force  him, 
would  you  ? "  and  he  sprang  toward  the 
Doctor  with  drawn  knife,  to  find  himself 
very  suddenly  on  his  back  in  the  deep 
snow,  his  knife  caught  from  his  hand,  and 
stars  before  his  eyes. 

"  Another  word  from  you,  and  you  shall 
be  tied  hand  and  foot,"  the  Doctor  said ; 
while  Neddo,  a  little  ashamed,  and  a  great 
deal  afraid,  turned  his  team,  and  began  to 
load  up  at  once.  Boulanger  crawled  into 
his  own  sled  and  lay  there  without  speak- 
ing, and,  soon  as  possible,  they  were  off, — 
Neddo,  whose  sled  was  on  high  runners,  so 
that  it  could  clear  the  stumps,  urging  his 
oxen  to  the  top  of  their  speed.  Mamma 
and  Harry  were  too  cold  to  speak;  for  two 
days  they  had  been  on  short  rations,  and 
when,  late  in  the  afternoon,  reaching  the 
last  hill,  they  saw  from  it  four  or  five  log- 
houses,  a  crowd  of  Indians  standing  about, 
and  off  on  one  side  a  great  expanse  of 
snow-covered  ice,  strength  was  almost  gone, 
and  they  had  no  thought  for  anything  but 
fire  and  food.  The  farmer's  wife,  an  Indian 


WHITE   AND    RED.  103 

woman,  had  made  supper  ready  for  them ; 
she  took  Harry  in  her  arms  and  carried 
him  in,  for  he  was  too  cold  and  weak  to 
walk,  and,  putting  him  on  her  bed,  he  fell 
at  once  into  a  heavy  sleep,  while  mamma, 
lying  down  by  him,  with  the  delicious 
warmth  all  about  her,  cried,  because  she 
was  too  weak  and  too  comfortable  to  do 
anything  else. 

Mrs.  Campbell  let  them  lie  still  an  hour, 
till  the  load  had  been  taken  into  their  own 
house,  and  then  brought  a  cup  of  hot  cof- 
fee to  Mrs.  Prescott,  who,  after  drinking  it, 
felt  quite  well  enough  to  get  right  up. 
Harry  had  waked,  and  they  all  sat  down 
to  supper.  The  room  was  filled  with  In- 
dians, all  wanting  to  talk,  but  papa  said, 
u  To-morrow,  to-morrow !  "  and  as  soon  as 
the  meal  ended,  they  went  to  their  own 
house,  which  was  just  opposite  the  Camp- 
bells'. Here  Harry  was  put  to  bed  in  a 
packing-box,  on  some  goods,  with  a  bag  of 
coffee  for  a  pillow,  and  close  to  the  fire, 
going  sound  asleep  in  two  seconds,  and 
followed  at  once  by  mamma  and  papa,  none 
of  them  waking  till  late  next  morning,  when 
Harry,  sitting  up  suddenly,  saw  a  sight, 
about  which  I  shall  tell  you  in  another 
chapter. 


104  WHITE   AND    RED. 


CHAPTER  V. 

How  did  it  happen  that  the  door  had 
been  left  unlocked  ?  for  unlocked  it  surely 
was ;  and  not  only  that,  but  wide  open  too, 
and  in  it  stood  an  Indian,  so  tall  that  he 
had  to  bend  low  as  he  stepped  in.  After 
him  came  another,  and  another,  and  an- 
other, all  smiling  as  they  saw  Harry  sitting 
up  there,  too  astonished  to  speak,  while 
mamma  and  papa  lay  sound  asleep.  Dr. 
Prescott  opened  his  eyes  slowly  as  Harry 
leaned  over  and  shook  him,  but  sprang  up 
as  the  tall  Indian  came  forward,  saying, 
"How,  how,  how!  Bo  jou  neeche"  (Wel- 
come, friend). 

The  room  was  full  now,  and  women  and 
children  crowded  around  the  door,  all 
anxious  to  get  in,  and  many  of  them  hold- 
ing up  little  bottles,  given  them  by  the 
Doctor  in  the  summer,  and  saying,  as  they 
met  his  eye,  "Po  me  ta  sharbaseeken, 
muskeekee  wayninnee"  (Castor-oil,  medi- 
cine man).  They  were  all  prepared  to 
stay ;  for,  though  there  was  no  fire,  the 
men,  wrapped  hi  their  blankets,  settled 


WHITE   AND    RED.  105 

down  comfortably,  and  took  out  their  to- 
bacco-pouches, ready  for  a  smoke. 

There  are  no  proprieties  among  the  In- 
dians. If  you  want  to  call  on  them  at  two 
o'clock  in  the  morning,  somebody  will 
wake  up  to  entertain,  you ;  and  why  a 
white  man  should  not  be  just  as  ready  to 
receive  them  at  any  hour,  they  cannot  see. 
So  old  Ma  dwa  ga  non  hid,  head  chief  of 
all  the  Red  Lake  Ojibways,  hearing  that 
the  Doctor  had  come,  had  dressed  in  his 
finest  blanket  and  leggins,  and  walked  six 
miles  to  make  a  call.  It  would  never  do 
to  turn  him  away,  for  this  was  a  very 
great  honor;  and  there  were  three  of  his 
wives,  too,  smiling  at  the  door,  one  with  a 
pappoose  on  her  back. 

Dr.  Prescott  built  a  fire  at  once,  and 
then  explained,  as  well  as  he  could,  that 
they  were  very  tired,  and  had  as  yet  had 
no  breakfast ;  that  he  was  very  glad  to  see 
them  all,  and  that  if  they  would  go  to 
some  of  the  wigwams  near  by,  they  could 
soon  come  back  and  visit.  Georgy  Camp- 
bell, who  knew  just  enough  English  to 
interpret  tolerably,  came  down  to  say  that 
breakfast  was  ready,  and  explained  mat- 
ters. 

"  Kaget,  kaget,"  the  old  chief  said,  which 
means,  "  You  are  right ; "  and  drawing  his 


106  WHITE   AND    RED. 

blanket  closer,  he  walked  away  to  the 
blacksmith's,  followed  by  the  whole  crowd. 
Papa  locked  the  door  in  a  hurry  ;  and  then 
mamma,  who  had  been  laughing  under  the 
blankets,  crept  out,  and  tried  to  melt  some 
water,  which  had  frozen  solid  in  the  pail. 
It  took  too  long,  however  ;  so  they  washed 
their  faces  in  fresh  snow,  and  hurried  up 
to  the  farmer's,  where,  I  think  I  have  told 
you,  they  were  to  take  their  meals,  till 
Oliver  came  with  the  provisions.  Another 
crowd  was  waiting  there,  and  though  Mrs. 
Campbell  said  "Maja"  (Go  away)  several 
times,  they  only  laughed  a  little,  and 
stared  attentively.  The  farmer  and  black- 
smith were  both  away,  having  gone  for 
supplies;  so  there  was  no  rallying  point 
but  the  Doctor's  house ;  and  there,  after 
breakfast  ended,  they  followed  them.  Mrs. 
Prescott  looked  about  a  moment,  before 
going  on,  and  I  will  tell  you  what  she  saw. 
Standing  in  the  farmer's  door,  and  look- 
ing east,  right  opposite,  was  their  own 
house,  built  of  sawn  logs,  with  a  great 
black  pipe  sticking  out  from  the  clay 
chimney,  which  she  afterward  found  had 
been  part  of  the  boiler  for  the  saw-mill. 
To  the  right  of  it,  the  blacksmith's  house 
and  forge,  all  in  one ;  back  of  that  the 
Government  warehouse,  where  payment 


WHITE   AND    RED.  107 

goods  were  stored  in  the  fall ;  and  beyond 
that  still,  some  low  log-houses  and  wig- 
wams. There  were  two  or  three  log-barns, 
and  all  these  buildings  were  on  the  brow 
of  a  low  hill,  at  the  foot  of  which  lay  a 
little  lake,  close  to  the  edge  of  which  were 
seen  the  remains  of  a  saw-mill  which  had 
blown  up  in  the  fall.  All  about  were  the 
melancholy  looking  black  pines,  save  at 
the  northwest,  where,  a  quarter  of  a  mile 
distant,  lay  Red  Lake,  stretching  far  out 
of  sight.  Everywhere,  save  at  this  one 
point,  the  thick  black  forest  surrounded 
them,  the  smoke  from  scattered  wigwams, 
or  log-huts,  curling  up  in  the  clear,  frosty 
air.  The  bright  spots  were  the  Indians  in 
red,  green,  blue,  and  white  blankets;  no 
half-starved,  dirty  looking  ones,  as  at  Leech 
Lake,  but  with  a  general  air  of  comfort, 
even  among  the  women  and  children. 
Neddo  was  there,  shining  in  bead-worked 
leggins  of  dark  blue  cloth ;  and  near  him, 
miserable  little  Boulanger,  smaller,  dirtier, 
meaner  than  ever,  in  comparison,  but  with 
a  smirk  on  his  face  as  Dr.  Prescott  passed, 
which  showed  that  he  did  not  intend  to 
let  any  trouble  of  yesterday  stand  in  the 
way  of  his  receiving  a  parting  gift  to-day. 
"  I  am  going  to  the  blacksmith's  a 
few  minutes,"  said  Dr.  Prescott,  throwing 


108  WHITE   AND    RED. 

open  the  door.     "  Lock  the  door,  and  don't 
let  any  one  in  till  I  come  back." 

Boulanger,  who  had  fully  intended  to 
step  in,  stepped  back  instead,  while  mam- 
ma and  Harry  went  to  work  at  once,  try- 
ing to  bring  about  some  sort  of  system 
in  the  chaos  of  boxes,  bags,  and  bundles, 
which  filled  one  end  of  the  room.  Do 
you  want  to  know  how  it  looked?  A 
room  -exactly  ten  feet  by  twelve  ;  half-win- 
dows on  each  side  :  at  one  end,  a  great 
clay  chimney,  where  now  a  fire  of  Ihe 
black,  pitchy  pine,  burned  fiercely.  The 
walls — just  logs,  nothing  more,  through 
the  chinks  in  which  the  daylight  shone. 
Overhead,  a  ceiling  of  rough  boards,  leav- 
ing a  space  of  four  or  five  feet  between 
them  and  the  ridge-pole ;  a  sort  of  attic, 
which  they  found  very  useful  in  the  stow- 
ing away  of  odds  and  ends.  A  heavy 
beam  running  the  length  of  the  house, 
and  just  in  the  middle,  supported  these 
boards. 

"  Is  this  all  the  house  we've  got  ?  " 
Harry  asked,  as  Dr.  Prescott  came  in  again, 
followed  by  the  old  chief. 

"  I'm  afraid  it  is,"  he  answered,  looking 
troubled.  "  When  I  left,  it  was  with  the 
understanding  we  should  have  the  engi- 
neer's house,  which  is  quite  comfortable  j 


WHITE   AND   RED.  109 

but  it  seems  it  was  turned  over  to  the 
blacksmith,  who  has  rented  it  to  a  trader. 
The  Major  would  make  all  right  if  he 
knew  how  things  were  going ;  but  it  will 
take  five  or  six  weeks  at  least,  to  write 
and  get  an  answer  from  him,  and  in  the 
mean  time  this  is  our  only  place.  What 
will  you  do,  Mary  ?  " 

Mamma  looked  just  a  little  dismayed. 

"  Can't  you  have  a  place  for  an  office  ? " 
she  said.  "  We  can't  well  live  in  the  same 
room  with  all  this  crowd  of  Indians." 

"Neddo  tells  me  Beauchamp  can  build 
on  a  room  at  once,"  said  Dr.  Prescott. 
"  The  great  trouble  will  be  that  there  are 
no  boards  for  doors  or  floors.  We  can  use 
poles,  perhaps.  The  first  thing  now,  is  to 
pay  Neddo,  who  will  soon  start  again  for 
Leech  Lake." 

Neddo  wanted  calico  and  some  ribbon, 
and  an  hour  went  by  in  opening  the  box 
of  goods  and  showing  them  to  him,  and  to 
the  old  chief.  Money  is  almost  useless  in 
the  Indian  country :  a  few  among  them 
have  some  idea  of  its  value  ;  but  furs,  corn, 
and  potatoes,  are  their  usual  currency,  and 
goods,  the  trader's,  so  many  yards  of  calico 
being  counted  as  a  dollar.  Three  are  gen- 
erally given,  so  Neddo  was  more  than  sat- 
isfied at  receiving  at  the  rate  of  five  for  a 


110  WHITE   AND   RED. 

dollar.  He  chose  also  some  bright  rib- 
bons, tying  them  at  once  to  the  tail  on  his 
fur  cap,  and  walking  away  with  Boulanger, 
who  had  also  received  some  calico,  and  an 
end  of  red  ribbon,  which,  pulled  through 
the  band  of  his  greasy  hat,  made  him  look 
dingier  than  ever.  Harry  looked  on  for  a 
time,  while  his  father  filled  some  of  the 
countless  bottles  waiting  for  castor-oil, 
which  the  Indians  love  as  you  love  butter, 
and  would  drink  all  day  if  only  they  could 
get  it 

Georgy  came  down  after  a  while,  and 
asked  Harry  to  come  and  slide  down  hill ; 
and  Harry,  bundling  up,  went  out,  expect- 
ing to  find  a  sled.  At  the  top  of  the  hill 
were  a  dozen  or  more  Indian  children  of 
all  ages,  each  of  the  boys  having  a  barrel 
stave,  with  a  string  at  one  end. 

«  Where's  the  sled  ?  "  Harry  asked,  look- 
ing about. 

"  Here,"  Georgy  said,  picking  up  his 
stave.  "  See ;  I  show  you  ;  do  as  me." 

Laying  the  stave  on  the  ground,  and 
putting  one  foot  on  it,  Georgy  pushed  it 
along,  holding  the  string  till  some  momen- 
tum had  been  gained ;  then,  '  suddenly 
bringing  the  other  foot  to  it,  shot  down 
like  an  arrow  far  out  on  the  little  lake,  fol- 
lowed by  two  of  the  Indian  boys,  slender 


WHITE   AND   RED.  Ill 

and  straight  as  the  pine-trees  all  about, 
who,  as  they  dashed  after,  shouted  "  Hiyah, 
yah,  hiyah ! " 

Close  by  stood  a  little  girl  nine  or  ten 
years  old,  her  black  hair  standing  out  all 
ways,  but  with  beautiful,  bright,  dark  eyes, 
and  white  teeth  gleaming  between  the 
reddest  lips  Harry  had  ever  seen.  She 
had  been  looking  at  him  with  the  greatest 
interest ;  and  now,  as  Georgy  came  up, 
said  something,  and  then  laughed. 

"  What  is  it  she  says  ?  "  said  Harry. 
"  She  looked  right  at  me." 

"  She  say  white  boy  not  know  anything," 
Georgy  replied  ;  "  she  say  you  no  can  go 
down  as^me." 

"  We'll  see,"  said  Harry,  indignantly ; 
u  give  me  your  stick,  Georgy." 

Harry  watched  a  moment  one  of  the 
Indian  boys  who  flew  by  him,  and  then, 
very  sure  he  knew  all  about  it,  started 
down.  All  went  well  till  he  brought  the 
other  foot  to  the  stave,  when,  exactly  how 
he  could  not  tell,  he  found  himself  flat  on 
his  back,  and  the  stave  which  he  had  jerked 
up  by  the  string  as  he  fell,  lying  by  him. 
A  shout  went  up  from  all  the  company, 
Georgy  and  the  little  girl  laughing  louder 
than  any.  Harry  laughed  too,  though 
with  a  very  red  face. 


112  WHITE   AND   RED. 

"  I'll  do  it,  anyhow,"  he  said,  getting  up. 
"  I  guess  I  can  do  what  they  can,"  and  he 
started  again,  this  time  rolling  over  at 
once,  and  going  almost  to  the  bottom  of 
the  hill  with  the  boy  who  had  run  into 
him. 

u  You'd  better  look  out  how  you  do  that 
again,"  Harry  said,  choking,  and  scramb- 
ling out  from  a  drift,  with  his  mouth  full 
of  snow  ;  and  then  laughing,  as  he  remem- 
bered English  was  no  use  here.  The  boy 
pointed  to  his  feet,  and  said  something,  the 
only  word  Harry  understood  being  "  moc- 
casin." 

"  He  say,"  Georgy  interpreted,  "  white 
boy  boots  no  good :  moccasin  good,  and 
then  you  slide." 

"But  I  haven't  got  any,"  said  Harry. 
The  little  girl  who  had  been  watching 
him,  sat  down  in  the  snow  and  pulled  off 
hers ;  and  Harry,  after  a  moment's  hesita- 
tion, took  off  his  shoes. 

"  What's  her  name  ? "  he  said. 

"Sozette  Josance,"  Georgy  answered. 
"Her  father's  French,  but  she  not  know 
French  talk  ;  only  Ojibway  talk." 

Sozette,  in  the  mean  time,  had  slipped 
her  feet  into  Harry's  shoes,  and  stood  now 
looking  at  them,  while  Harry,  who  felt  as 
if  he  had  on  nothing  but  stockings,  once 


WHITE   AND    RED.  113 

more  took  the  stave,  finding  that  now  his 
feet  could  cling  to  it,  as  the  thick  shoes 
would  never  have  let  them  do.  Two  or 
three  more  trials  and  tumbles,  and  he 
went  down  safely  to  the  bottom,  though 
quite  unable  to  stand  straight  as  the  other 
boys  did.  His  feet  were  cold  now,  and  he 
ran  up  the  hill  to  where  Sozette  stood,  in- 
tending to  take  his  shoes  and  go  into  the 
house. 

"  Tell  her  I  want  them,"  he  said  to 
Georgy ;  but  Sozette,  with  a  little  nod  at 
Harry,  said,  —  "  Ka  win ;  neen  sarga  tow ; 
neen  margeetone."  (No  j  I  like  the  shoes ; 
I  will  take  them  away.) 

"  She  not  give  'em  back,"  said  Georgy  ; 
«  she  like  'em." 

"But  I  want  them,"  said  Harry,  mak- 
ing a  motion  towards  them ;  when  Sozette, 
with  a  push  that  sent  him  backward  into 
another  snow-bank,  dashed  off,  her  black 
hair  and  little  red  blanket  flying  loose  be- 
hind her  as  she  ran.  After  her  Harry 
plunged,  angry  enough  now  to  think  of 
nothing  but  the  shoes:  and  after  him 
rushed  the  crowd  of  children.  Sozette 
disappeared  in  an  open  door-way,  and 
Harry  followed,  tumbling  over  an  Indian 
dog,  which  yelped  and  snapped  as  it  ran. 


114  WHITE  AND   RED. 

A  tall  man  rose  up  from  the  floor  where 
he  was  sitting. 

"  Maja,  waywif,"  he  said  ;  "  wagonind, 
Sozette  ? "  (Off  with  you,  quick  ;  what  is 
the  matter,  Sozette  V) 

Sozette  laughing  and  panting,  stood 
behind  her  father,  while  Harry,  burning 
with  wrath,  pointed  at  his  feet  and  then 
to  hers.  Luckily,  Dr.  Prescott,  who  had 
seen  the  rush  by  the  window,  came  in 
just  in  time  to  hear  Josance  accusing 
Harry  of  having  taken  Sozette's  mocca- 
sins ;  an  exchange  was  made,  at  which  she 
pouted,  and  Harry  walked  home,  warm 
enough  now,  and  ready  for  more  play,  if 
papa  had  not  said  he  had  done  quite 
enough  for  that  morning. 

Beauchamp  had  come,  sent  by  Neddo. 
He  knew  a  little  English,  in  which  he 
took  great  pride,  and  was  listening  to  a 
plan  for  the  new  room,  which  was  to  be 
begun  at  once. 

"  You  no  talk  more,"  he  said  presently ; 
"me  know  nuff;  me  go  now,  cut  much 
stick,"  and  shouldering  his  axe.,  he  went 
off  with  his  brother  Baptiste. 

Josance  came  after  dinner;  heated  wa- 
ter in  a  great  pail,  and  thickened  it  with 
clay  which  had  been  left  from  the  chim- 
ney, and  which  was  found  only  in  one 


WHITE   AND   RED.  115 

spot  near  the  lake.  With  this  he  filled 
up  some  of  the  great  chinks  between  the 
logs,  though  there  was  only  enough  to 
finish  one  side ;  while  Sozette,  delighted 
at  the  chance  of  being  there,  stirred  the 
clay  with  her  chapped  little  hands,  and 
looked  at  everything.  Georgy  and  Fanny 
Campbell  were  also  there,  and  a  steady 
flow  of  Indian  visitors  came  and  went,  till 
at  night  Mrs.  Prescott  was  almost  as  tired 
as  on  the  last  day  of  the  journey. 

The  next  day  building  began,  and  went 
on  briskly ;  and  Harry,  in  blanket  socks 
and  moccasins,  trudged  after  Beauchamp 
and  Baptiste,  who  had  brought  a  load  of 
small  trees,  five  or  six  inches  in  diameter, 
notched  them  at  each  end,  after  they 
were  cut  to  the  right  length,  so  that  they 
would  fit  into  each  other;  and  in  a  day 
had  finished  a  room  at  the  back  of  the 
house,  eight  feet  by  ten,  with  a  roof  of 
poles,  filled  in  with  hay. 

Another  clay  was  spent  in  digging  a 
hole  in  the  frozen  ground,  on  which  a  fire 
had  been  built  to  partly  thaw  it;  then, 
taking  out  the  earth,  mixing  it  with  hot 
water  to  a  thick  mud,  and  filling  in  be- 
tween the  logs.  This  would  freeze,  and 
do  till  spring,  when  clay  could  be  had. 
Then  came  the  question,  where  boards  for 


116  WHITE   AND    RED. 

a  floor  could  be  found;  and  Beauchamp, 
ever  ready  with  his  —  "  You  no  talk  ;  me 
know  where  me  find  some,"  trotted  away, 
appearing  again  after  a  time,  with  half  a 
dozen  weather-stained  ones,  which,  they 
afterward  found,  he  had  pulled  from  the 
Government  barn.  Two  were  saved  for 
a  door,  which  Dr.  Prescott  put  together 
while  Beauchamp  laid  the  floor.  By  the 
evening  of  the  fourth  day,  the  door  was 
up,  a  window  cut,  and  a  sash  put  in, 
which,  as  there  was  no  glass,  had  to  have 
panes  of  white  cotton  cloth.  A  partition 
made  of  small  trees,  one  side  chopped  off 
to  make  them  look  as  much  as  possible 
like  boards,  was  put  up  in  the  new  room, 
making  a  place  just  wide  enough  for  the 
cooking-stove,  which  was  to  come  by  and 
by.  From  some  shingles  and  a  box  Dr. 
Prescott  made  a  little  closet  in  their 
kitchen  for  his  medicines,  which  were  to 
be  handed  to  the  Indians  through  a  square 
hole  cut  in  the  partition.  An  opening 
was  made  into  the  main  room,  ready  for  a 
door,  in  case  boards  enough  to  make  one 
should  be  found ;  the  little  sheet-iron  stove 
was  set  up,  the  pipe  going  out  through  a 
hole  in  the  roof,  and  in  a  little  more  than 
a  week  everything  was  in  order,  and  the 
Indians,  unless  very  special  friends,  re- 
ceived in  the  new  office. 


WHITE   AND   RED.  117 

Then  began  the  work  of  improvement 
in  the  main  part.  They  had  brought 
coarse  sheeting,  and  rolls  of  bright  wall-pa- 
per. This  sheeting  was  torn  into  strips 
and  pasted  over  every  crack,  not  only  in 
the  logs,  but  in  the  boards  of  their  ceiling, 
through  which  the  cold  air  poured  down 
at  night.  Over  this  the  wall-paper  was 
put,  the  black  eyes  looking  in  at  the  win- 
dows at  all  hours,  staring  in  astonishment 
at  what  they  thought  to  be  this  dreadful 
waste  of  calico.  Mamma  pasted  paper 
over  two  of  the  boxes,  making  little 
shelves  in  them  with  shingles,  and  papa 
nailed  them  up;  one  under  the  looking- 
glass,  as  a  sort  of  bureau ;  and  the  other 
larger  one  at  the  opposite  end  of  the 
room,  where  they  filled  the  two  shelves 
with  their  few  books. 

"  0  for  a  barrel !  "  mamma  said  often, 
"  and  then  we  might  have  another  chair," 
for  now  they  had  but  one,  a  rocking-chair, 
which  had  lost  a  rocker  on  the  way  up  by 
crashing  against  a  tree.  Papa  had  mended 
it  as  well  as  he  could,  but  'twas  still 
joggly,  and,  at  the  best  of  times,  had  never 
been  meant  to  hold  three  people,  so  Harry 
sat  on  a  block  of  wood  or  at  the  foot  of 
the  bed. 

By  Christmas  Day  the  little  house  could 


118  WHITE   AND    RED. 

hardly  have  known  itself.  Nothing  could 
beautify  that  obstinate  clay  chimney,  but 
the  open  fire  more  than  made  up  for  it ; 
and  Harry,  sitting  on  his  block,  saw  won- 
derful pictures  in  the  red  embers,  and  de* 
clared  it  just  the  place  for  Santa  Glaus  to 
get  down  without  the  least  trouble. 

Santa  Glaus  evidently  had  heard  of  Eed 
Lake,  for  the  stockings  which  were  hung 
up  Christmas  Eve,  were  found  full  Christ- 
mas morning ;  in  Harry's,  some  new  moc- 
casins, an  Ojibway  Testament,  and  a  piece 
of  red  ribbon  he  was  to  use  in  trading,  if 
he  liked.  Mamma  had  all  the  dry  goods 
made  over  to  her,  and  found  beside,  in 
her  stocking,  "Longfellow"  and  "Whit- 
tier,"  in  the  little  Diamond  Edition,  which 
is  such  a  blessed  thing  for  people  who  are 
where  they  can  take  but  few  books,  and 
want  much  in  little  space. 

Papa  rejoiced  in  a  pair  of  red  flannel  ] 
shirts,  and  delighted  the  Indians  by  ap- 
pearing at  once  in  one.     Out  of  the  trunk 
had  corne  two  passepartouts  ;  one  of  Lin- 
coln, which,  with  a  wreath  of  ground  pine 
about  it,  hung  over  the  table;  and  the  • 
other,   Harry's    head  of    Raphael,   which 
Uncle  Charley  had  given  him.     There  was 
no  church  to  go  to,  but  after  breakfast 
they  sat  about  the  fire  and  sang  Christ- 


WHITE   AND   RED.  119 

mas  carols ;  and  at  last  all  went  out  for  a 
walk.  Their  thermometer  said  thirty-one 
below  zero,  and  papa's  beard  and  mous- 
tache were  white  with  frost  three  minutes 
after  they  started,  yet  none  of  them  felt 
really  cold.  Harry  rancor  walked,  as  the 
mood  took  him,  and  they  went  down  the 
hill  past  Josance's  house,  and  on  toward 
two  wigwams  standing  alone.  As  they 
passed  a  little  log-barn,  where  Josance 
kept  his  cow,  mamma  spied  something 
she  had  wished  for  every  day  since  she 
came. 

"A  barrel!  there  certainly  is  a  barrel, 
Henry,"  she  said.  u  Do  get  it  out." 

"It's  Josance's  barrel,"  said  Harry. 
"I'll  run  back  and  tell  him  to  come. 
There  he  is  now ;  I  guess  he  saw  us." 

Josance  came  up  quickly,  looking, 
mamma  declared,  like  a  disguised  prince. 
Certainly  he  was  very  handsome ;  and 
small  Sozette,  dancing  behind  him,  had 
his  eyes  and  brilliant  teeth,  and,  dirty  or 
clean,  was  surely  beautiful. 

"  C'est  le  fete  de  Noel,"  said  Josance, 
with  a  bow,  as  Mrs.  Prescott  told  him  her 
wishes.  "  Je  fais  du  baril  un  cadeau  pour 
Madame,  s'elle  me  fera  1'honneur  de  1'ac- 
cepter."  ('Tis  Christmas  Day.  I  make  the 
barrel  a  gift  for  Madame,  if  she  will  do 
me  the  honor  of  accepting  it.) 


120  WHITE   AND  RED. 

"  Many  thanks,"  Mrs.  Prescott  said  ;  and 
Josance,  with  another  bow,  stood  watch- 
ing, while  Dr.  Prescott  brought  the  barrel 
and  rolled  it  up  the  hill  to  the  house. 

"You  are  fortunate,"  he  said,  "for  I 
doubt  if  there  be  another  one  here.  The 
boys  break  up  the  very  few  which  come 
through,  to  use  for  sliding,  so  this  is  prob- 
ably your  last  chance  till  next  payment 
time." 

Two  or  three  Indians  were  sitting  on 
the  floor  in  the  office,  enjoying  the  heat 
from  the  red  hot  stove,  and  smoking  a 
mixture  of  tobacco  and  kinnikinick,  which 
is  the  inner  bark  of  willow,  dried  on  little 
frames  before  the  fire,  and  then  rolled 
fine. 

Mrs.  Prescott  marked  out  the  back  and 
arms  of  her  chair,  and  then  papa  sawed  it 
to  the  right  shape,  first  knocking  out  the 
top,  which  was  to  be  nailed  together,  fast- 
ened on  a  piece  of  tree  between  three  and 
four  feet  high,  and  made  into  a  little  work- 
stand,  covered  with  calico.  Three  days 
later  the  two  stood  completed  by  the  west 
window,  and  the  Indian  women  said, 
"  Ah,  ta  !  ah,  ta  ! "  as  they  saw  the  pretty 
stand  covered  with  Turkey-red,  to  match 
the  chair  and  curtains. 

Everything  was  now  ready  for  house- 


WHITE  AND   RED.  121 

keeping,  and  they  watched  each  day  for 
Oliver.  Little  Thunder  had  returned, 
finding  the  snow  too  deep  to  go  on,  and 
called  almost  every  day ;  and  the  old 
chief,  who  could  never  be  denied,  doubled 
up  by  the  fire  and  spent  hours  watching 
them  at  work.  Harry  was  learning 
Ogibway  very  fast,  picking  it  up,  word  by 
word,  from  the  children  with  whom  he 
played,  especially  Georgy  and  Sozette, 
who  were  now  firm  friends. 

New  Year's  morning  the  sun  shone  so 
brightly,  that  Harry,  full  of  spirits,  went 
out  for  a  run  before  breakfast.  A  little 
scuffle  was  heard,  and  then  a  loud  laugh- 
ing outside,  as  he  rushed  in  again,  locking 
the  door  behind  him. 

"  What  is  the  matter  ?"  said  mamma. 

u  Why,  they  all  tried  to  kiss  me,"  Harry 
answered.  "  Sozette,  and  Nah  gon  a  sake, 
did ;  and  then  I  ran,  when  that  dreadful 
fishy  one  caught  me." 

"  What  is  it  for  ?  "  Mrs.  Prescott  asked, 
as  Dr.  Prescott,  who  had  opened  the  door, 
hastily  shut  it  again,  while  a  very  fat 
squaw  looked  in  at  the  window  and 
laughed. 

"  This  is  their  day,"  he  said ;  while  Harry 
danced  around,  delighted  with  the  idea 
that  his  father,  too,  was  to  be  attacked. 


122  WHITE   AND    RED. 

"  I  don't  see  but  that  I  must  stay  in  the 
house.  The  squaw  who  can  take  the  first 
kiss  from  any  man  she  meets  on  New 
Year's  morning,  can  claim  a  present  from 
him ;  and  there  are  twenty,  I  should 
think,  lying  in  wait  by  the  door.  All  the 
men  who  are  not  off  on  their  hunts,  will 
be  here  by  and  by.  Tis  Manitou  Gee- 
shickuck,  the  Great  Spirit's  day,  when 
they  all  shake  hands  and  give  good  wishes, 
and  they  will  expect  some  present  from  us." 

"  We  haven't  anything,  unless  it  is  this 
card  of  brass  buttons,"  said  Mrs.  Prescott ; 
"  there  are  four  or  five  dozen  of  those." 

"  The  very  thing,"  said  the  Doctor  ;  and 
just  then  Georgy  came  down  to  say 
breakfast  was  ready,  and  put  up  his  lips 
so  confidently,  that  Mrs.  Prescott  kissed 
him  at  once. 

A  dozen  women  surrounded  the  Doctor 
as  he  went  out ;  but  he  broke  away  from 
them,  laughing,  saying  that  the  white 
man  kept  Manitou  Geeshickuck  in  a  differ- 
ent way,  and  did  not  want  to  kiss.  Harry, 
pursued  by  a  crowd  of  little  girls,  had  to 
run  under  Mrs.  Campbell's  bed  to  escape 
them ;  and,  coming  out  with  feathers  in 
his  hair,  was  attacked,  by  Fanny  and  So- 
zette  together,  and  came  to  breakfast 
very  much  disgusted  at  this  new  way  of 


WHITE  AND   RED.  123 

keeping  New  Year's.  The  old  chief  stood 
by  their  door  as  they  went  home,  and 
shook  hands  heartily.  His  face  was 
blackened,  and  as  this  is  a  sign  of  mourn- 
ing, the  Doctor  asked  if  any  friend  was 
dead. 

No,"  said  Ma  dwa  ga  non  ind,  with  a 
chuckle.  "  But  when  it  is  black,  the 
squaws  keep  away,  and  I  save  my  flour. 
Kissing  is  for  the  young  men,  and  there 
are  many  ready  and  waiting  for  the  white 
medicine-man.  Does  the  white  woman 
care  ? "  and  he  chuckled  again  as  he 
looked  at  Mrs.  Prescott,  and  then  settled 
down  by  the  fire. 

All  day  long  the  Indians  came  and  went, 
shaking  hands,  and  then  sitting  down  to 
smoke.  The  buttons  gave  out  after  a 
time  ;  and  having  plenty  of  matches,  Dr. 
Prescott  decided  to  give  some  to  each  of 
the  remaining  callers,  who  were  delighted 
to  have  something  so  much  more  conve- 
nient than  the  flint,  steel,  and  tinder, 
which  all  carry  in  their  tobacco-pouches. 
Toward  evening,  Kah  wiss  kinniky 
(Crooked  Arm),  a  handsome  young  chief, 
called,  and  with  him  the  dandy  of  the  Red 
Lake  Ojibways,  who  was  so  impressed  by 
his  own  appearance,  that  he  had  little  to 
say  to  the  inferior  white  people.  You  will 


124  WHITE   AND    RED. 

want  to  know  just  how  an  Ojibway  dandy 
looks,  and  as,  though  there  are  several  at 
Red  Lake,  "  Shoo  goosh  kan  dah  way " 
(Flying  Squirrel)  is  the  most  important 
one,  you  shall  hear  what  he  is  like 

First  then,  around  his  right  eye  a  care- 
fully drawn  circle  of  vermilion;  and  around 
the  left,  one  of  white.  On  each  cheek 
three  stripes,  red,  blue,  and  yellow;  and 
on  his  forehead,  spots  of  the  same  colors. 
His  thick  hair  carefully  braided  in  two 
long  tails  behind,  and  in  front  one  small 
one,  on  which  are  sewed  nine  brass  but- 
tons, while  the  parting  is  half  vermilion 
and  half  yellow.  A  bead-worked  band 
passes  around  his  head,  in  which  are  stuck 
some  feathers.  Then  conies  a  Mackinaw 
blanket,  gaily  painted  in  stripes,  and  a 
blanket  cap  which  he  draws  over  his  head, 
and  is  cut  in  scallops  on  the  top,  and  or- 
namented with  ribbons.  Then  a  short- 
skirted  frock  coat,  bought  of  some  trader, 
below  which  hangs  his  calico  shirt,  which, 
even  when  they  wear  pantaloons,  always 
hangs  outside.  Around  his  waist  is  a  bead 
belt,  with  the  sheath  for  the  long  knife, 
and  over  the  right  shoulder  passes  another 
wider  belt,  to  which  the  tobacco-pouch  is 
sewed,  both  covered  with  beads.  Leggins 
of  scarlet  cloth,  also  worked  in  beads,  reach 


WHITE   AND    RED.  125 

a  little  above  the  knee,  and  are  fastened 
by  bead-work  bands,  with  long  ends  of  gay 
colored  yarn ;  and  his  moccasins  are  the 
finest  skin,  and  covered  with  more  beads. 
From  each  ankle  trails  a  skunk  skin,  with 
a  brass  thimble  on  the  tail ;  and  around  his 
neck  is  another  skin,  that  of  a  small  fox, 
from  the  tail  of  which  hang  large  blue 
beads,  and  twenty  or  thirty  thimbles. 

He  was  tall  and  stout,  but  too  fine,  as 
well  as  too  disagreeable,  to  be  talked  with ; 
and  Mrs.  Prescott,  after  taking  notes  of  his 
dress,  gave  her  attention  to  Crooked  Arm, 
who,  though  one  of  the  best  hunters  and 
warriors  among  them,  had  a  very  quiet, 
pleasant  manner,  and  seemed  a  thorough 
gentleman. 

.  You  will  laugh  at  this ;  but  Mrs.  Pres- 
cott soon  found  there  were  a  great  many 
gentlemen  at  Red  Lake,  and  preferred 
Indian  society  to  that  of  the  white  men 
stationed  there. 

Night  came  at  last,  and  Harry  was  get- 
ting ready  for  bed,  when  a  trampling  and 
pulling  was  heard.  Gee !  haw !  sounded 
through  the  air ;  and  throwing  open  the 
door,  the  expected  teams  were  seen  mak- 
ing their  way  up  the  last  hill. 


126  WHITE   AND    RED. 


CHAPTER  VI. 

"WHERE  is  the  kerosene,  Oliver?"  Dr. 
Prescott  asked,  as  Oliver  brought  in  the 
last  bag  of  flour,  and  stood  as  if  he  had 
nothing  more  to  do. 

"  The  karosene,"  repeated  Oliver.  "  Wall, 
you  see,  'twouldn't  do  ter  bring  flour  an' 
karosene  along  together,  nohow,  for  one 
might  a-sprung  aleak,  and  spiled  the  other. 
Government  teams  is  comin'  up  afore  long, 
they  say,  and  we'll  send  it  along  on  them. 
I  ain't  none  so  sure  about  'em,  either,  for 
we  did  find  the  snow  worse  an'  worse,  the 
further  we  come.  'Tain't  been  such  a  win- 
ter for  snow,  no  not  in  ten  year." 

"  Why,  we've  been  waiting  for  it  ever 
since  we  came,"  said  Harry,  "  for  it's  dark 
by  four  o'clock,  and  then  we  have  to  burn 
pine  knots." 

"  Ef  I  was  you,"  Oliver  went  on,  "  an' 
wanted  that  karosene  bad  enough,  I'd  send 
dogs  down  for  it,  for  I  believe  you  won't 
get  it  no  other  way.  Little  Thunder's  got 
some,  ain't  he  ?  He  might  go  below  with 
us.  Kind  of  comfortable  lookin'  in  here, 
you  be  now,  ain't  you  ?  " 

• 


WHITE   AND   RED.  127 

"  We  have  just  three  candles  left,"  said 
mamma,  after  Oliver  had  said  good-night. 
"We'll  cut  each  one  into  three  pieces 
and  allow  ourselves  one  piece  an  evening. 
Nine  days  will  surely  be  time  enough  for 
Little  Thunder  to  go  and  come." 

"  Oliver  says  he  shall  only  stay  here  one 
day,"  Dr.  Prescott  said,  "  and  it  takes  an 
Indian  so  long  to  make  up  his  mind  about 
anything,  that  I'll  go  over  now  ^to  Quee 
wee  all's  house,  and  talk  about  the  matter," 
and  bundling  up  at  once,  papa  started  off, 
returning  in  an  hour,  to  say  that  Little 
Thunder  seemed  quite  pleased  with  the 
idea,  and  would  come  over  next  afternoon 
for  bread  and  pork,  as  it  is  customary  to 
supply  with  provisions  all  Indians  or  half- 
breeds,  who  undertake  any  journey  for 
one. 

The  new  cooking-stove  was  set  up  in  its 
place  next  morning,  and  mamma  experi- 
mented with  Little  Thunder's  bread,  which 
came  out  of  the  oven  in  good  order,  and 
was  much  admired  by  Mrs.  Little  Thun- 
der, who  came  over  with  a  muskemote, 
or  bag  of  woven  rushes,  full  of  potatoes, 
which  she  had  raised  herself,  and  wanted 
now  to  exchange  for  calico  and  buttons. 
With  her  came  her  daughter,  carrying  a 
pappoose,  —  and,  by  the  way,  the  Indians 


128  WHITE   AND    RED. 

do  not  like  to  have  their  babies  called  by 
this  name,  which  has,  they  say,  been  made 
up  by  the  whites,  and  means  nothing  at 
all.  Wahboose  is  the  word  they  use,  which 
means,  little  thing,  and  is  also  the  name 
for  rabbits.  This  wahboose,  like  all  In- 
dian babies,  was  fastened  down  on  a  board 
with  bead-work  bands,  and  carried  on 
the  mother's  back,  held  by  a  band  passing 
over  her  forehead.  As  she  came  in,  with 
the  blanket  drawn  close  about  her,  Harry 
thought  her  deformed,  for  this  great  hurnp 
never  stirred ;  but  when  Mrs.  Little  Thun- 
der had  chosen  her  calico,  the  blanket 
was  thrown  off,  the  baby  set  up  against 
the  wall,  and  Dr.  Prescott  asked  to  look  at 
it.  Its  eyes  were  shut,  and  it  moaned  a 
little  now  and  then. 

"  'Tis  a  very  sick  child,"  said  Dr.  Pres- 
cott, presently,  "  and  if  it  were  anything 
but  an  Indian  baby,  I  should  say  was  go- 
ing to  die.  Take  it  home,"  he  went  on,  in 
Indian,  to  the  mother,  "and  soon  I  will 
bring  you  some  medicine.  I  would  tell 
her  to  keep  it  quiet,  were  there  any  use  in 
such  a  direction ;  but  the  sicker  it  is,  the 
more  noise  there  will  be." 

"  Let  me  go  with  you  when  you  get 
the  medicine  made,"  said  Harry.  "  I  know 
her.  She's  the  Red  River  Indian's  wife : 


WHITE   AND    RED.  129 

she  lives  right  across  the  road,  in  that 
mud  house.  I  saw  her  give  the  haby  a  lot 
of  hulled  corn  yesterday.  It  can  walk, 
but  she  tied  it  on  to  the  board  again,  be- 
cause it  was  sick ;  and  I  saw  it  eat  a  po- 
tatoe-skin.  She  lets  it  have  fishes'  tails  to 
suck." 

"  Why,  that  is  dreadful,"  said  mamma. 
"  It  ought  to  have  milk.  Suppose  I  fix  a 
cupful  of  condensed  milk  and  warm  water." 

"  Well,"  said  papa,  "  and  we'll  all  go 
over  together." 

So  presently  they  went,  mamma  carry- 
ing, in  their  one  little  pitcher,  the  milk, 
which  froze  hard  on  the  way,  though  the 
houses  were  hardly  a  stone's  throw  apart, 
and  which  had  to  be  put  by  the  fire  at 
once,  to  thaw. 

The  room  was  very  small ;  the  logs  so 
carefully  stopped  with  clay,  and  such  a 
great  fire  burning  in  the  chimney,  that 
the  heat  was  almost  stifling.  The  baby 
had  been  set  up  in  one  corner,  near  the 
fire ;  all  around  the  room  were  the  friends 
and  the  relations,  for  whenever  any  mem- 
ber of  a  family  is  sick,  it  is  etiquette  for  as 
many  as  can,  to  spend  all  their  spare  time 
with  them.  In  front  of  the  child  was 
squatted  one  of  the  medicine-men,  shak- 
ing a  sacred  rattle,  made  generally  of  a 


130  WHITE   AND    RED. 

dried  gourd,  with  beans  in  it ;  but  in  this 
case,  an  old  oyster-can,  with  a  stick  in  the 
top,  used  as  a  handle.  A  small  drum, 
which  he  beat  occasionally,  stood  by  him, 
and  he  sang  the  monotonous  chant,  by 
which  these  sittings  are  always  accom- 
panied. 

"  The  child  has  had  no  sleep  for  two 
days,  they  say,"  said  Dr.  Prescott,  "  and 
how  can  it  get  any  in  this  noise  and  heat  ?  " 
and  then  he  went  on  in  Ojibway  telling 
the  mother  that  if  the  baby  did  not  go  to 
sleep,  it  would  die;  and  she  must  send 
away  the  medicine-man,  or,  at  any  rate, 
tell  him  to  keep  still.  The  old  man  shook 
his  head  as  he  listened. 

"The  white  medicine-man's  words  are 
bad,"  he  said,  "  though  his  heart  may  be 
good.  The  sound  of  the  Great  Spirit's  rat- 
tle and  drum,  can  alone  drive  out  the  evil 
manitou,  who  has  entered  the  lodge. 
Would  my  brother  see  the  soul  of  the  lit- 
tle one  torn  away?"  and  he  rattled  and 
drummed  together,  as  if  determined  to 
make  up  the  time  lost  in  speaking. 

"  If  the  baby  could   only  be  washed," 
said  Mrs.  Prescott.     "  It  is  a  mass  of  dirt." 
'  •  "  Water  and  sleep  would  cure  it,"  said 
Dr.  Prescott,  "  but  it  is  not  likely  to  have 
either.     A  doctor's  hands  are  tied  here, 


WHITE   AND   RED.  131 

for  if  an  Indian  is  really  sick,  these  medi- 
cine-men step  in,  and  prevent  the  possibil- 
ity of  any  good  being  done.  Government 
might  better  appoint  two  farmers,  and  do 
without  the  doctor,  who  is  of  no  earthly 
use ;  he  must  give  them  medicines  when 
they  are  not  needed,  and  be  tormented  by 
seeing  all  those  who  might  be  cured,  if  let 
alone,  drummed  to  death  before  his  eyes, 
and  his  own  scalp  in  danger,  if  he  inter- 
feres." 

The  baby  opened  its  eyes  a  moment,  and 
the  mother  put  a  piece  of  fish  into  its 
mouth  at  once. 

"  0  don't !  "  said  Mrs.  Prescott,  starting 
forward,  and  forgetting  that  English  was 
useless.  "  Do  give  it  some  of  this  milk," 
and  she  poured  a  little  into  a  cup  she  had 
brought 

"  No,  no ! "  the  old  medicine-man  said, 
as  the  mother  took  the  cup.  "  Milk  from 
the  white  man's  cup  is  manitou." 

At  the  word  "  manitou,"  the  mother 
pushed  it  away,  and  looked  frightened ; 
but  the  father  said,  —  "  The  white  medi- 
cine-man's drink  is  good.  Let  the  child 
have  it." 

"  Manitou,  manitou ! "  the  old  man  said, 
throwing  down  his  rattle,  and  rising,  as  if 
to  go. 


132  WHITE   AND    RED. 

A  general  cry  of  dismay  was  uttered  by 
all  the  Indians. 

"  They  say,"  said  Georgy,  who  had 
come  in,  "  that  your  milk  kill  a  baby  when 
it  sick  ;  for  why,  your  dish  manitou." 

"  They  may  do  as  they  please  about  the 
milk,  but  the  child  must  take  this  medi- 
cine, or  it  will  surely  die ;  "  and  papa  took 
the  bottle  and  poured  some  drops  from  it 
into  the  child's  mouth,  before  any  one 
could  interfere  ;  walking  away  with  the 
bottle  afterward,  and  saying  he  would 
come  again  soon,  and  give  another  dose. 

"  It  is  almost  hopeless  work,"  he  sighed, 
after  they  were  home  again.  "  I  did  my 
best  all  last  summer,  to  give  them  some 
notions  of  cleanliness,  which  might  help 
them  when  sick ;  but,  except  in  a  very 
few  cases,  there  is  always  the  trouble  you 
have  seen  to-day." 

"  What  is  manitou  ?  "  Harry  asked. 

"  Anything  which  an  Indian  fancies 
may,  or  which  he  is  told  by  the  medicine- 
men will,  do  him  any  harm.  Manitou 
means  spirit,  you  know,  and  everything 
they  cannot  understand  is  called  so,  as  well 
as  everything  they  admire,  or  fear  strongly. 
Those  two  great  trees  you  saw  at  the  top 
of  the  world,  are  manitou  ;  so  is  my  watch, 
because  it  ticks ;  and  your  little  umbrella, 


WHITE   AND   RED.  133 

because  it  is  something  they  never  saw  be- 
fore. Leading-Feather's  manitou  is  a  wolf. 
He  would  not  kill  one  if  he  could  help  it ; 
or  if  he  did,  would  beg  its  pardon  before 
cutting  it  up.  The  young  man  whose 
tooth  I  pulled  yesterday  thought  it  ached 
because  he  had  offended  his  manitou,  the 
woodpecker,  who  had  entered  it  and  was 
tapping  there ;  and  the  old  man  who 
wanted  medicine  for  the  rheumatism, 
thought  his  manitou,  the  bear,  was  angry, 
and  had  got  into  his  bones,  which  he 
gripped,  and  tried  to  crush.  The  longer 
you  live  here,  the  more  manitous  you  will 
find.  The  missionaries,  when  here,  were 
able  to  influence  a  few ;  and,  on  the  whole, 
the  Red  Lake  band  are  far  less  supersti- 
tious than  many  others,  but  still  the  medi- 
cine-men do  much  as  they  will  with  them." 

u  Here  is  Little  Thunder,  come  for  his 
bread,"  said  Harry.  "  I  wonder  what  his 
manitou  is," 

"  I  don't  know,"  papa  answered.  "  He 
prayed  to  a  red  stone,  when  we  were  on 
the  hunt  last  summer,  and  offered  some 
duck-feathers  to  it.  That  was  to  insure 
success,  I  believe ;  and  the  stone  had  no 
special  sacredness  of  its  own,  for  he  left  it 
behind  as  we  went  on." 

"  He's  got  his  Grossest  wife  with  him," 
said  Harry. 


134  WHITE   AND   RED. 

"  The  Grossest  one  ?  "  mamma  repeated. 
«  Has  he  two  ?  " 

*  Three,  I  think,  unless  one  has  died 
since  fall,"  said  papa.  "  The  one  we  met 
when  coming  up  is  his  first  and  most  hon- 
ored wife,  and  'tis  her  son  who  has  the 
right  to  succeed  him  as  chief.  This  one 
has  a  terrible  temper,  and  dislikes  the 
whites.  She  has  come,  probably,  to  see 
that  her  husband  makes  a  good  bargain." 

Campbell,  the  farmer,  who  had  lived 
among  the  Ojibways  for  many  years,  hav- 
ing married  a  wife  from  the  Mille  Lac 
band,  came  down  to  interpret,  so  that 
everything  might  be  understood  before- 
hand, and  no  chance  given  for  saying  that 
more  pay  had  been  promised  than  was  re- 
ceived. Making  a  bargain  with  an  Indian 
is  tedious  work,  and  Little  Thunder,  like 
all  the  rest,  began  by  asking  for  five  times 
as  much  as  he  expected  to  get ;  and  on 
hearing  the  utmost  that  Dr.  Prescott  would 
give,  first  smoked  a  pipe,  and  then  de- 
clared he  could  not  and  would  not  go  for 
that. 

«  Very  well,"  said  Dr.  Prescott.  "  Then 
I  will  get  Baptiste,  who  is  willing  ;  "  and 
Little  Thunder,  saying,  "  His  train  is  weak 
and  old  ;  he  could  not  go  through,"  smoked 
another  pipe,  and  looked  at  his  wife. 


WHITE  AND   RED.  135 

Finally,  an  agreement  was  made,  by  which 
he  was  to  receive  his  own  provisions,  fish 
for  his  dogs,  and  four  dollars  for  every 
hundred  pounds  he  should  bring ;  and  Mrs. 
Little  Thunder  number  two  walked  away, 
carrying  the  bread  and  pork,  which  papa 
was  very  much  afraid  would  be  eaten  be- 
fore they  started. 

"What  do  you  think  Georgy  told  me 
about  the  moon  ?  "  said  Harry,  as  they  sat 
that  evening  around  the  fire.  "You  know 
it's  new  now,  and  Sozette  and  all  of  us 
were  looking  at  it ;  and  Sozette  began  to 
talk,  and  make  Georgy  interpret  what  she 
was  saying.  She  said  her  grandmother 
said  the  moon  was  made  of  something 
very  good  to  eat,  and  that  when  it  was  full, 
ever  so  many  thousand  mice  began,  and 
ate  and  ate,  till  it  was  every  speck  gone  ; 
then  it  grew  again,  and  they  ate  it  up 
again,  and  that's  the  way  they  keep  doing 
all  the  time.  I  told  Georgy  to  tell  her  it 
was  a  world,  and  those  spots  on  it  were 
mountains  and  everything.  Georgy  said 
he  wouldn't  tell  her  such  stuff ;  and  when 
he  did,  they  all  laughed.  So  then  I  told 
him  what  old  Nokomis  told  Hiawatha,  you 
know,  about  the  warrior  getting  very  angry 
with  his  grandmother,  and  thro.ving  her 
up  into  the  moon  so  hard,  that  she  stuck 


136  WHITE   AND    RED. 

there.  Sozette  said  that  was  true,  and 
Beshquay  said  he  could  see  her  nose  and 
her  blanket.  Beshquay  says  his  uncle  is 
windigo." 

a  What  is  that  ? "  mamma  asked. 

"  Why,  Georgy  said,  and  he  truly  thinks 
so,  too,  that  when  anybody's  windigo,  a 
manitou  gets  into  him,  and  he  grows,  and 
grows,  till  he's  tall  as  a  pine-tree.  Then 
he  is  manitou,  and  nothing  can  kill  him ; 
and  he  eats  up  the  children,  if  he  wants  to. 
Sozette  said,  to  be  windigo  was  worse  than 
Jah  bah  e  :  what  is  that  ?  You  called  me 
in  before  Georgy  could  tell." 

"  The  spirit  of  a  bad  Indian,  who  could 
not  get  into  the  happy  hunting  grounds, 
and  so  wanders  about,  doing  harm  to 
everybody.  They  can  keep  fish  out  of  the 
net,  and  loose  all  the  animals  that  have 
been  trapped ;  and  the  children  are  told, 
that,  if  they  are  naughty  in  any  way,  Jah 
bah  e  will  chase  them  after  dark,  and  pull 
their  hair,  or  sometimes  wrestle  with  them, 
and  take  away  all  their  strength." 

"If  I  could  only  understand  Sozette," 
Harry  went  on,  "  she'd  tell  me  something 
about  everything ;  but  Georgy  gets  tired 
interpreting,  and  half  the  time  he  can't 
tell  what  the  English  of  it  is,  because 
he  doesn't  know  enough  himself.  I  wish 
I  knew  Ojibway." 


WHITE   AND    RED.  137 

"  Sunday  I  shall  begin  to  teach  Sozette, 
and  some  others,  how  to  read,"  said  papa, 
"  and  that  will  help  you  in  learning  it ; 
but  'tis  such  a  hard  language,  you  know, 
that  even  Mr.  Wright,  who  was  here  six- 
teen years,  says  he  does  not  feel  that  he  is 
master  of  it  yet." 

"  What  makes  all  the  women  talk  just 
as  if  they  were  angry  ?  "  Harry  said.  "  I 
thought  Mrs.  Campbell  was  scolding  aw- 
fully this  afternoon  ;  and  Leading-Feather's 
wife  was  there,  talking  back,  just  like  her. 
I  asked  Georgy  what  made  'em  so  mad  at 
each  other,  and  he  said  they  weren't  mad 
a  bit ;  they  were  talking  about  the  sugar 
bush,  and  the  moccasin  Fanny  made." 

"  They  all  do  it,"  said  mamma,  "  while 
almost  all  the  men  speak  so  quietly.  Poor 
women!  they  are  little  better  than  animals : 
my  heart  aches  for  them  every  day." 

"  They  don't  have  to  do  a  thing  till 
they're  ten  or  twelve,"  said  Harry,  "  and 
then  they  begin,  and  work  till  they  drop 
down  dead.  One  of  them  said,  why  didn't 
you  chop  the  wood,  mamma,  instead  of 
having  papa  do  it  ?  I  said  white  women 
didn't  chop  wood,  and  Beshquay  said  they 
ought  to  ;  and  if  he  ever  got  a  white  wife, 
he'd  make  her." 

"  That  reminds  me  that  our  potatoes  are 


138  WHITE   AND    RED. 

still  in  the  muskemote,  and  must  be  put 
down  cellar,  or  they  will  freeze,"  said  papa. 
"  Hold  up  the  board,  Harry,  and  I'll  pour 
them  in." 

The  cellar  was  a  hole  in  the  middle  of 
the  room,  which  would  hold  three  or  four 
bushels,  and  a  board  in  the  floor  over  it, 
had  been  sawed  out,  and  a  support  put 
underneath,  so  that  it  need  not  fall  through 
when  walked  over.  Indian  cellars  are 
made  in  this  way,  whenever  they  have 
houses.  For  the  wigwams,  they  are  dug 
outside,  lined  with  grass  or  moss ;  and  the 
potatoes  being  put  in,  are  closed  up,  and 
kept  there  till  needed.  The  corn,  after 
being  shelled,  is  sewed  up  in  muskemotes, 
and  kept  in  the  same  way,  to  secure  it 
from  mice. 

Next  morning,  Harry,  who  had  been 
sent  for  a  pail  of  water,  came  up  from  the 
little  lake  without  it. 

"I  don't  want  to  get  water  at  that  place 
any  more,"  he  said ;  "  Nokomis  is  putting 
a  dog  down  the  hole." 

"  Nokomis  !  "  said  mamma ;  "  what  is 
she  doing  that. for?" 

"  Some  charm,"  papa  said,  shouldering 
his  axe,  and  going  down  to  cut  another 
hole.  Georgy  was  close  by,  watching ; 
and  Nokomis,  who  was  the  sick  baby's 


WHITE   AND    RED.  139 

grandmother,  looked  a  little  disturbed  as 
she  saw  the  Doctor  coming,  and  began 
talking  very  fast  to  Georgy,  who  inter- 
preted. 

"  She  say  your  medicine  good  —  make 
baby  sleep;  pretty  soon,  while  it  asleep, 
medicine-man  take  out  manitou,  put  it 
into  the  dog,  and  tell  her,  drown  the  dog, 
and  then  baby  get  well  quick." 

"  Tell  her,  if  she  must  drown  dogs,  to 
do  it  in  the  great  lake,  and  not  here,"  said 
papa,  "  for  she  spoils  our  water.  The 
child  is  better,  so  it  must  be  the  dog  that 
has  helped  it.  Why  is  it  that  Sozette 
seems  to  be  out-doors  all  the  time  ?  " 

"  Josance  gone  away,"  said  Georgy. 
"  Gone  to  the  long  hunt,  and  Sozette  not 
got  much  place  to  stay.  She  eat  all  round ; 
we  give  her  breakfast." 

"  Yes,"  said  the  farmer,  who  had  come 
down  for  water.  "  It's  a  wonder  that  child 
don't  starve  to  death ;  she  would,  if  'twarn't 
Injin  fashion  to  share  all  round.  Now,  last 
summer,  Josance  was  down  below,  gettin' 
goods  to  go  off  tradin'  with,  an'  she  went 
on  to  Pembina,  'long  with  an  old  Injin ; 
she  walked  nigh  four  hundred  miles  afore 
she  come  back,  and  Josance  never  worried 
his  head.  She's  cute,  Sozette  is,  though. 
She's  like  to  get  all  she  wants." 


140  WHITE   AND   RED. 

Sozette  was  looking  in  at  the  window 
as  they  went  back,  and  began  to  pick  up 
chips  industriously,  saying  as  they  passed, 
—  "  White  people  have  much  to  eat.  Per- 
haps, if  I  take  them  chips,  they  will  give 
me  some  bread." 

"Fill  the  little  chip-box  full,"  said  Dr. 
Prescott,  "  and  you  shall  have  some." 

Sozette,  delighted,  whirled  round  on 
one  heel,  till  blanket  and  hair  stood  out 
straight  together,  and  then  went  to  work. 

u  Somebody  must  see  to  that  child,"  said 
mamma,  as  they  went  in  ;  "  she's  a  bundle 
of  rags.  Do  you  know,  Henry,  she  has 
nothing  on  but  that  torn  calico  dress,  and 
some  pieces  of  rag  on  her  feet  ?  She 
needs  everything  ;  and  yet,  if  I  make  her 
a  comfortable  suit,  it  will  be  stolen,  I'm 
afraid." 

"  That  is  not  likely  to  happen  here," 
said  papa ;  "  and  I  think  she  could  be 
taught  to  take  care  of  her  clothes.  You 
might  have  her  bring  water,  and  pick  up 
chips,  and  let  her  feel  that  she  is  earning 
them.  She  depends  on  the  squaws,  now, 
for  all  she  has,  and  is  the  loneliest  little 
body  up  here,  I  believe,  for  she  has  only 
that  old  grandmother,  six  miles  away,  to 
think  anything  about  her." 

Sozette,  hearing  her  name,  listened  at- 


WHITE   AND    RED.  141 

tentively ;  and  when  asked,  through  Geor- 
gy,  if  she  would  try  to  be  a  good  girl,  and 
do  everything  to  please  Mrs.  Prescott,  if 
she  were  allowed  to  stay,  her  brown  eyes 
danced,  and  she  promised  so  many  things, 
that  Georgy  gave  up  trying  to  interpret, 
and  summed  it  all  up, — "  She  say  she  love 
pork ;  she  say  coffee  is  good ;  she  say 
white  folks  have  lots  to  eat ;  she  love 
white  folks ;  she  work  all  the  time  ;  she 
eat  good  deal ;  she  love  to  eat." 

"There  is  no  doubt  about  that,"  said 
Mrs.  Prescott,  after  a  little  time  of  watch- 
ing Sozette,  whom,  finally,  she  had  to  send 
away  from  the  table.  "  The  child  has 
eaten  nearly  as  much  as  we  three.  She'll 
be  sick." 

"  No  fear  of  that,"  said  Dr.  Prescott; 
"  she's  too  active  to  have  dyspepsia,  though 
you  must  put  her  on  allowance,  for  it  is 
Indian  nature,  you  know,  to  eat  just  as 
long  as  any  food  remains  before  them. 
When  we  came  where  elk  were  plenty,  on 
the  hunt  last  summer,  they  ate  six  or 
eight  times  a  day.  But  what  is  the  mat- 
ter ? " 

The  blacksmith  ran  round  the  house; 
and  looking  from  the  window,  they  saw 
that  Sozette,  who  had  been  sent  out  to 
empty  some  water,  had  run  up  his  roof, 


142  WHITE   AND   RED. 

which  sloped  almost  to  the  ground,  and 
was  dropping  snow-balls  down  the  chim- 
ney, into  the  forge-fire. 

"  If  you're  goin'  to  see  after  that  little 
varmint,"  said  Hugh,  as  Sozette,  before  he 
could  catch  her,  had  run  into  the  house, 
"  why,  you'll  have  yer  hands  full.  There 
ain't  no  kind  o'  mischief  she  don't  do, 
every  minute  o'  the  day." 

"Not  a  nice  white  man,"  said  Sozette, 
shaking  her  head.  "  He  slapped  me  once. 
I  shall  do  something  to  him." 

Mrs.  Prescott  turned  down  the  hem  of 
an  apron  for  her,  and,  after  the  dishes 
were  set  away,  gave  her  a  little  thimble, 
and  began  to  teach  her  to  sew.  The 
teams  started  about  ten;  Wade,  with 
his  horses,  which  had  brought  up  Aiken's 
goods,  and  Oliver,  with  his  oxen.  Little 
Thunder's  dog-train  went  at  the  same 
time,  followed  by  some  half-dozen  Indians, 
who  were  going  a  few  miles  for  com- 
pany ;  and  Sozette,  who  was  half-sister  to 
Oliver's  wife,  said  she  wanted  to  ride  a 
little  way,  and  would  come  back  pretty 
soon,  and  sew  some  more.  Harry  went 
out  with  Georgy  Campbell ;  and  mamma, 
who  was  making  gingerbread,  listened 
at  the  same  time  to  papa,  who  was  re- 
peating one  of  the  thousand  tenses  of  an 


WHITE   AND   RED.  143 

Ojibway  verb.  Suddenly  he  stopped. 
u  There's  a  curious  sound  coming  from  the 
blacksmith's  ;  what  is  it  ?  " 

"He's  shouting  and  pounding,"  said 
mamma.  "  Go  and  see  what  the  matter 
is,  won't  you,  Henry  ?  " 

Harry  and  Georgy,  who  had  also  heard 
the  noise,  came  running,  as  papa  went 
out. 

"  Maybe  he's  sick,"  said  Harry,  looking 
in  at  the  window. 

"  Open  the  door,"  roared  old  Hugh. 
"  Open  the  door,  I  say  !  " 

«  But  it's  locked,"  said  Harry.  "  Here's 
the  key,  though,  dropped  out." 

"  Has  she  gone  off  with  the  key  ? " 
shouted  Hugh.  "  I'll  roast  her,  if  I  catch 
her." 

Dr.  Prescott  unlocked  the  door  at  once, 
and  Hugh  stepped  out,  blushing  at  being 
caught  in  such  a  fix,  but  angry  enough 
to  knock  down  somebody. 

"  Darn  that  Sozette  !  "  he  said.  "  I'll 
give  it  to  her  !  She's  spiled  the  best  axe 
I've  made  yit." 

«  What  does  it  all  mean  ?  "  Dr.  Prescott 
asked. 

"  Why,  the  little  varmint  came  runnin' 
round  the  house,  pretty  soon  after  the 
teams  started.  I'd  put  my  steel  to  red  in 


144  WHITE    AND    RED. 

the  forge  fire,  an'  jist  stepped  out,  to  put 
a  stick  on  the  one  in  my  part,  for  you 
see  I  was  bakin'  bread.  I  left  the  key 
outside  the  door;  an'  the  very  minute  I 
stoops  down  to  the  baker,  she  bangs  the 
door  to,  and  turns  the  key,  an'  then  stans 
there  by  the  window,  makin'  faces.  *  Open 
the  door  ! '  I  says ;  an'  off  she  puts,  hol- 
lerin'  out  her  Injin  lingo,  an'  sayin'  I 
could  go  up  the  chimbly,  ef  I  wanted  to 
git  out.  There  warn't  a  soul  round  here, 
for  they'd  all  gone  off  with  the  teams,  an' 
I've  been  stampin'  an'  yellin',  nigh  half  an 
hour.  I'll  give  it  to  her,  you'll  see  !  " 

Sozette  came  back  just  in  time  for  din- 
ner, but  showed  no  penitence  for  her 
morning's  work,  only  shaking  her  head 
a  little  as  Dr.  Prescott  told  her  she  must 
not  do  mischief.  Old  Hugh  was  seen 
chasing  her  in  the  course  of  the  evening, 
and  declared  through  the  window,  that 
he'd  "  rather  have  the  sea-sarpint  himself 
to  deal  with,  than  that  child." 

Two  days  went  by;  and  on  the  after- 
noon of  the  third,  Hugh,  who  had  walked 
in,  said,  —  "  Here's  news  for  you  :  Little 
Thunder's  home." 

"  What !  "  said  Dr.  Prescott,  astonished. 
"  He  cannot  have  been  to  Leech  Lake  and 
back." 


WHITE   AND    RED.  145 

"  He  could  a  done,  ef  he'd  been  a  mind 
ter,"  said  Hugh.  "Them  dog-trains  goes 
fifty  miles  a  day  with  a  load,  easy,  but  he 
didn't  get  no  farther'n  Turtle  River,  that 
fust  one  you  come  to,  yer  know,  where 
yer  sled  broke.  His  son's  been  over  to 
sharpen  his  knife,  an'  he  told  me  all  about 
it.  Yer  see,  Turtle  Lake,  that  the  river 
runs  out  of,  has  froze  over  since  yer  come, 
and  they  crossed  it  well  enough  gettin'  up 
here.  So  they  thought  it  would  bear 
easy,  an'  started  across.  Wade  got  over 
all  right  with  his  bosses,  an'  then  comes 
Oliver  lumberin'  'long  with  them  oxen. 
There  was  one  pretty  ticklish  place, 
where  the  ice  was  thin  on  account  o'  the 
current,  settin'  out  strong  to  the  river,  an' 
Wade  he  hollered  back  to  him  to  look  out. 
Oliver  thought  he'd  steered  clear  of  it,  an' 
just  went  ahead.  A  hoss  would  a  known 
better ;  but  them  oxen,  big  fools,  walks 
right  into  a  air-hole  ;  one  went  in  all  over, 
an'  dragged  along  'tother  half-way.  He 
fit  and  bellered,  but,  yer  see,  kep  gettin' 
pulled  in  more'n  more,  when  the  other 
one  kind  of  settled  under  the  ice.  Wade 
run  back,  an'  him  an'  Quee  wee  ah,  an'  the 
rest,  pulls  an'  hauls  with  ropes,  till  they 
gits  this  last  one  out;  but  yer  see  the 

cold  was  down  to  nowhar,  an'  the  critter 

10 


146  WHITE   AND    BED. 

friz  stiff  in  five  minutes.  I  tell  yer,  I'm 
level  beat  ef  that  Oliver  ain't  the  on- 
luckiest  feller  the  Lord  ever  made.  He 
don't  have  no  kind  of  a  chance  no- 
how. He  jest  give  them  oxen  to  Little 
Thunder,  an'  piled  into  Wade's  sled,  with- 
out say  in'  one  word,  good  nor  "bad;  an' 
that's  what's  happened.  You  ain't  like  ter 
git  yer  karosene  yit  awhile,  fur  there's 
high  times  among  them  Injins.  A  lot's 
started  down  to  fish  out  the  other  ox,  an' 
they'll  bile  an'  roast,  till  there  ain't  a 
square  inch  o'  either  on  'em  left.  You'd 
better  be  huntin'  up  more  pine  knots," 
and  old  Hugh  walked  away. 

Little  Thunder  was  not  seen  for  several 
days,  but  appeared  at  last  with  some  beef 
as  a  peace-offering,  and  said,  if  they  would 
provide  more  bread,  he  would  start  the 
next  day  without  fail.  So  more  bread 
was  made,  of  course,  for  the  kerosene 
must  be  had,  and  also  a  box  with  beans, 
and  other  provisions  in  it,  which  Oliver 
had  forgotten  ;  and  Little  Thunder  really 
did  start  the  next  morning,  though  a 
heavy  snow  was  falling.  The  precious 
pieces  of  candle  were  burned,  one  each 
evening ;  and  while  they  lasted,  mamma 
sewed,  and  papa  read  aloud,  till  each  one 
burned  down  to  the  bit  of  wood  which 


WHITE   AND    RED.  147 

served  as  candlestick,  when  they  threw 
on  pine  cones,  and  by  their  light  talked, 
or  sang  songs,  which  Georgy  and  the 
other  children,  who  often  spent  the  even- 
ing with  them,  learned  rapidly.  "  Tramp, 
tramp,  tramp,  the  boys  are  marching," 
was  a  special  favorite,  and  Sozette  rubbed 
knives,  and  picked  up  chips,  and  sewed 
to  this  one  tune,  till  Harry  said  he  was 
tired  to  death  of  hearing  that,  and  be- 
gan to  teach  her,  "  Old  John  Brown  had 
a  little  Indian,"  trying  to  make  her  say 
the  English  words,  which  she  utterly  re- 
fused to  do.  Finally,  with  Georgy's  help, 
he  translated  it  into  Ojibway,  and  the 
song  was  learned  and  sung  with  great  ap- 
plause by  Georgy,  Fanny,  Sozette,  Nah 
gou  a  sake,  and  Harry.  You  will  like  to 
see  how  it  looked  in  its  Indian  dress,  so 
I  will  write  it  for  you.  The  words  are 
pronounced  exactly  as  I  spell  them  for 
you;  and  if  you  learn  this  thoroughly, 
you  can  some  day,  perhaps,  if  far  enough 
West  to  see  Indians,  astonish  an  Ojibway 
by  repeating  it  to  him  :  — 

"  Keka  John  Brown  bungee  Snarby 
Keka  John  Brown  bungee  Snarby 
Keka  John  Brown  bungee  Snarby 
Pashick  bungee  Snarby  qua  wa  zance 
Pashick  bungee  neesh  bungee  niswe  bungee  Snarby 


148  WHITE   AND    RED. 

Neez  washwe  bungee  nis  washwe  bungee 

Shouguswe  bungee  Snarby 

Quage  bungee  Snarby  qua  wa  zance. 

"  Quage  bungee  shouguswe  bungee  nis  washwe  bungee 

Snarby 
Neez  washwe  bungee  gutwoss  bungee  narnoon  bungee 

Snarby 

Newin  bungee  niswe  bungee  neesh  bungee  Snarb 
Pashick  bungee  Snarby  qua  wa  zance." 


WHITE   AND    RED.  149 


CHAPTER  VII. 

A  WEEK  or  more  went  by  before  Little 
Thunder  returned.  The  candles  were 
burned,  every  one  of  them,  and  no  more 
to  be  had.  Mamma  tried  to  get  a  little 
tallow  from  some  of  the  Indians  who  had 
brought  up  the  last  ox  from  Turtle  River, 
thinking  that  a  tallow  candle  would  be  far 
better  than  no  light  at  all ;  but  tallow  had 
been  eaten  by  them  with  just  as  much  rel- 
ish as  any  other  part,  and  not  an  ounce 
remained  for  candle  or  anything  else.  So 
all  necessary  work  was  done  by  daylight ; 
and  the  evening,  which  began  at  four  in 
the  afternoon,  was  given  up  in  great  part 
to  the  children,  six  or  eight  of  whom  they 
had  begun  to  teach,  hoping  that  by  and 
by  these  might  learn  to  read. 

Dr.  Prescott  had  brought  up  some  prim- 
ers, but  his  Ojibway  botiks  were  the  Tes- 
tament and  a  small  hymn-book  only,  as 
these  are  the  only  books  of  their  language 
in  print.  The  feeling  against  learning 
English  seemed  to  be  just  as  strong  with 
the  children  as  with  the  parents;  and 


150  WHITE   AND    RED. 

though  Nah  gou  a  sake  would  sometimes 
repeat  an  English  word,  she  colored 
after  doing  it,  and  all  the  other  chil- 
dren laughed.  Even  the  little  Campbells 
seemed  ashamed  of  what  they  knew,  and 
spoke  Ojibway  altogether,  when  not  with 
their  father.  Mrs.  Campbell,  too,  though 
she  understood  all  that  was  said  to  her  in 
English,  spoke  nothing  but  her  own  lan- 
guage. She  wore  the  dress  of  a  white 
woman,  and  was  neat  in  her  ways,  but  in 
all  other  points  she  was  thoroughly  Indian ; 
and  the  children,  growing  up  more  under 
her  influence  than  that*  of  the  father, 
would,  if  they  remained  here,  have  less 
and  less  in  common  with  the  whites. 
The  farmer  himself  was  anxious  they 
should  learn  to  read,  and  talked  now  and 
then  of  "  going  below,"  where  his  children 
might  attend  school ;  but  long  years 
among  this  wild  people  had  unfitted  him 
for  any  other  life.  He  had  had  a  tolera- 
ble education,  and  seemed  capable  of  fill- 
ing a  far  better  position  than  the  one  he 
occupied,  and  Mrs.  Prescott  often  won- 
dered how  he  could  have  separated  him- 
self so  completely  from  his  own  people. 
Aiken,  who  came  over  often  from  the 
trading-post  to  see  them,  explained  the 
reason  one  evening. 


WHITE   AND   RED.  151 

"  I  tell  you,  ma'am,"  he  said,  "  we're  all 
savages  the  wust  kind  down  at  the  bot- 
tom. There  ain't  a  man  with  any  grit  to 
him,  —  I  don't  care  if  he's  got  D.  D.  and 
all  the  other  D's  tacked  to  his  name,  an* 
stan's  in  books  up  to  his  neck,  —  but 
what,  if  you'd  take  him  an'  set  him  down 
plump  'long  with  a  tribe  o'  Injins,  so't  he 
couldn't  get  away,  would  take  to  huntin' 
an'  fishin'  for  a  livin',  as  nat'ral  as  a  fish 
takes  to  water  ;  an"  what's  more,  wouldn't 
give  it  up,  either,  if  he  had  a  chance. 
You  look  at  Daniel  Boone,  an'  all  the 
rest  o'  them  sorfy  straight  through.  They 
couldn't  be  white  folks,  to  save  their  lives. 
Natur  was  too  strong.  I  tell  you,  men  is 
nat'rally  savages.  This  boy'll  be  one,  ef 
you  don't  look  out." 

"No  I  won't,"  Harry  cried.  "I'll  go 
home  fast  as  I  can,  when  we've  stayed 
long  enough." 

"That's  it,"  Aiken  went  on.  "Maybe 
you'll  find  there  ain't  no  such  thing  as 
stayin'  long  enough.  Now,  there's  old 
Hugh ;  been  up  in  this  country  hard  on 
fifteen  year,  movin'  on,  movin'  on,  to  get 
out  o'  the  way  o'  white  folks.  He  says 
there's  too  many  here  now,  an'  he'll  have 
to  go  off  to  Devil's  Lake,  or  White  Earth, 
maybe.  Madder'n  hops,  he  is,  at  the  Pa- 


152  WHITE   AND    RED. 

cific  Railroad.  Says  there  won't  be  a 
spot,  pretty  soon,  where  a  man  can  be 
alone  ef  he's  a  mind  to.  He's  like  all  the 
rest  that  comes  here ;  got  an  old  mother 
to  home,  an'  relations  round  in  one  place 
an'  another,  an'  he  don't  write  a  word  to 
one  on  'em.  Might  as  well  be  dead,  for 
all  they  know  about  him.  There's  just 
Injin  blood  enough  in  me  to  keep  me  go- 
in'  ;  an'  go  I  shall,  till  I  die." 

"  You're  sort  of  black,*  said  Harry,  "  but 
you've  got  blue  eyes  and  curly  hair ;  that 
doesn't  look  much  like  an  Indian." 

"That's  so,"  Aiken  replied.  "This  is 
the  way  it  is :  my  father  was  a  Scotchman, 
a  trader  for  the  Northwest  Company,  over 
to  Lake  Superior;  he  was  blue-eyed  an' 
red-headed.  My  mother  was  a  ( bois 
brule,'  an'  I  was  raised  mostly  by  a  Yan- 
kee." 

«  What  is  a  '  bois  brule  ? ' "  Mrs.  Pres- 
cott  asked. 

"French  and  Injin  mixed;  half-breed, 
you  know.  '  Burnt-wood,'  the  words  is. 
They  called  'em  so,  for  their  skins  was 
darker'n  an  Injin's,  without  that  kind  o' 
reddish  look  to  'em.  I  talked  Chippewa  to 
my  mother,  an'  Scotch  English  to  my 
father,  an'  French  to  my  grandfather. 
We  lived  at  La  Pointe,  an  island  in  the 


WHITE   AND    RED.  153 

lake,  you  know.  My  mother  died  when  I 
warn't  over  three,  an'  my  father  right  af- 
ter ;  an'  then  a  Yankee,  from  Maine,  took 
a  fancy  to  me,  an'  said  he'd  see  after  me. 
So  you  see  I  learned  Yankee  o'  him,  for 
talk  Chippewa  he  wouldn't ;  and  between 
Spanish  I  learned  down  on  the  Isthmus, 
an'  forty  'leven  lingos  from  the  natives, 
my  tongue  gets  so  tied  up  I  don't  know 
what  I  am ;  Yankee,  mostly,  I  guess.  It 
paid  to*  hold  on  to  that,  for  it  got  me 
good  berths  when  I  wanted  'em ;  an' 
many  a  one  has  said  they'd  take  me  to  be 
straight  from  Maine.  I'm  obleeged  to 
that  man,  for  though  he  got  plenty  o'  pay 
out  o'  me,  yet  ef  it  hadn't  been  for  him,  I 
might  'a  been  a  '  coureur  du  bois '  this 
minute." 

"  What's  that  ?  "  Harry  asked. 

"  A  fellow  that's  always  paddlin'  a  ca- 
noe ;  an'  when  he  ain't  doin'  that,  carries 
'  pieces.' " 

" '  Pieces  ? '  "  repeated  Harry,  puzzled. 
"  Pieces  of  what  ?  " 

"  I  may  as  well  tell  you  from  the  begin- 
ning," Aiken  said,  laughing,  "  or  else 
you'll  have  to  ask  questions  all  night.  La 
Pointe  is  in  the  lake,  I  told  you ;  an' 
there's  a  trading  post,  an'  mission  there. 
It's  easy  enough  gettin'  at  through  Mack- 


154  WHITE   AND    RED. 

inaw.  Now  there's  steamboats  running 
all  the  time ;  but  thirty  years  ago  we 
went  by  canoe  or  bateaux,  and  there 
wasn't  any  other  way.  I  was  about  nine 
then,  but  could  go  all  day,  jest  like  an 
Injin ;  an'  the  man  I  was  with  got  tired  o' 
La  Pointe.  I  was  going  to  Mr.  Ayre's 
school,  for  he'd  just  come  there  then  for 
missionary;  but  we  started  right  off  for 
Lac  du  Flambeau,  jest  as  I'd  begun  to 
read  pretty  easy,  an'  that's  the  last  school- 
in'  I've  had  to  this  day,  though  I  did  pick 
up  writin',  an'  some  figgers,  as  I  went 
along,  an'  made  use  of  'em. 

"  Well,  this  man  was  goin'  to  trade  at 
Lac  du  Flambeau,  an'  took  goods  along. 
We  had  one  bateau  an'  two  canoes,  an' 
about  fifteen,  all  told,  went  along ;  eight 
to  row  the  bateau,  an'  the  rest  for  canoe 
an'  loose  work.  Two  was  Injins ;  then  me 
an'  the  man,  —  Preston  his  name  was,  — 
an'  eleven  '  coureurs  du  bois.'  The  ba- 
teau I  see  you  want  to  know  about. 
That  was  a  light-built  boat,  forty  feet 
long,  an'  ten  or  twelve  wide,  maybe,  in 
the  middle.  •  Our'n  held  five  tons,  easy. 
We  had  grub  for  a  year,  an'  all  the  goods, 
powder,  an'  the  like,  that  would  be  wanted. 
When  we  got  to  Forty-five  Mile  Portage, 
that's  between  Montreal  River  and  Por- 


A  bntfmt  on  the  lake.     See  pnpo  154. 


WHITE   AND    RED.  155 

tage  Lake,  I  took  my  first '  piece/  though 
really  'twarn't  much  more'n  quarter  of  a 
'  piece.' 

"  You  see  that's  all  wild  country,  or 
'twas  then  ;  no  kind  of  road,  only  a  trail 
made  by  the  Injins  an'  coureurs  du  bois, 
goin'  back  an'  forth.  'Long  the  lake 
shore,  it's  mostly  sand  an'  rocks  ;  but  you 
get  back  a  ways,  an'  there's  hard-wood 
enough  to  build  boats  for  all  creation. 
This  fust  portage  was  all  timber ;  forty- 
five  mile  o'  the  thickest  kind  o'  woods,  an' 
every  pound  o'  flour,  an'  salt,  an'  pork,  — 
all  the  'bacca,  an'  powder'n  shot,  every- 
thing you  want  to  eat  or  to  sell,  just  had 
to  be  taken  over  on  men's  backs.  The 
furs,  too,  all  went  jest  so.  The  fur  com- 
pany at  Mackinaw'd  send  out  their  run- 
ners to  buy  up  the  furs ;  an'  they'd  go  all 
through  the  country,  where  there  weren't 
no  reg'lar  trading-posts,  sometimes  on 
water,  sometimes  on  land,  hundreds  o' 
miles.  We  got  all  our  goods  at  Mack- 
inaw, took  'em  through  the  lake  to  Mon- 
treal River,  an'  then  you  go  up  that  to 
the  first  portage. 

"  When  you  get  there,  everything's  put 
up  into  packs  an'  bales,  handy  for  carryin', 
eighty  pound  weight  about,  to  each,  an' 
each  one  o'  them  packs  is  a  'piece.'  They 


156  WHITE   AND    BED. 

put  a  barrel  o'  flour  into  two  bags,  an'  one 
o'  them's  a  '  piece.'  So's  a  keg  o'  pork  or 
gunpowder ;  an'  every  man's  expected  to 
carry  two  o'  them  '  pieces '  to  once.  He 
takes  them  Injin  fashion:  has  a  leather 
band  to  go  over  his  head,  —  portage-collar 
they  call  it,  —  three  inches  wide,  maybe, 
•at  the  back,  an'  from  this  there's  straps 
long  enough  to  tie  round  the  packs. 
Then  he  ties  on  his  two  pieces :  hists  up 
one,  an'  bends  forrard  a  little,  so't  rests  on 
his  back  an'  hips  .mostly.  It's  easy 
enough  then  to  pull  up  t'other,  an'  lay  it 
on  top,  an'  off  he  goes  on  a  jog  trot; 
pretty  fast,  too.  Each  man  has  his  share 
o'  the  load  given  him  at  the  start,  an'  he's 
got  to  keep  it  all  together.  I  mean,  if  a 
man's  got  ten  pieces  to  take  over  the 
portage,  —  that's  five  loads,  you  know,  — 
he'll  carry  the  first  load,  half,  or  a  third  of 
a  mile,  maybe,  an'  then  trot  back  for  the 
next  one,  an'  so  on,  till  he's  got  'em  all 
together  agin.  There's  what  they  call  a 
hundred  an'  twenty  -  two  { poses '  —  that 
means  stopping  -  places  —  on  that  portage, 
an'  it  takes  nigh  on  four  weeks  to  get 
across  with  much  of  a  load.  We  was 
twenty-four  days ;  an'  after  that  there  was 
two  more  portages;  one  a  hundred  rods 
long,  maybe,  an'  the  last  one  three  miles. 


WHITE   AND    RED.  157 

"  When  I  was  at  the  lake  there  warn't 
much  of  a  post  there,  but  more'n  two 
hundred  o'  these  'pieces'  had  to  be 
brought  over  every  year.  I  stayed  there 
till  I  was  pretty  near  eighteen,  an'  was  as 
good  a  coureur  as  any  of  'em.  Then 
Preston  died,  an'  left  me  his  trade  an'  a 
good  bit  o'  money.  I  had  coureurs  then 
o'  my  own ;  but  I've  carried  my  '  pieces  ' 
year  after  year,  sir,  an'  hard  work  though 
it  is,  I  never  had  a  sick  day  in  my  life,  till 
I  got  the  darned  Isthmus  fever.  I've 
trotted  over  pretty  much  all  this  country, 
for  goods  had  to  come  here  just  the  same 
way,  till  three  or  four  years  ago,  when 
this  road  was  made.  I've  seen  all  kinds 
o'  sights :  fights  between  Sioux  an'  Ojib- 
ways ;  white  folks  scalped,  an'  the  devil's 
own  work  goin'  on  in  all  ways.  I  was 
right  in  the  inidst,  when  the  Sioux  raid 
began  in  1863,  an'  came  nearer  then 
losin'  my  scalp'n  I  ever  did ;  but  I  got 
away.  Me  an'  Hugh  was  together  then. 
He  learned  me  blacksmithin'." 

"  0,  tell  all  about  the  raid,"  said  Harry. 

"  Not  to  night,"  Aiken  said.  "  I've 
talked  enough  for  once ;  but  I  will,  some 
day.  There's  yarns  enough  I  might  tell. 
I  never  thought  much  about  'em  at  the 
time,  but  there's  lots  that's  asked  me  ques- 
tions since  then." 


158  WHITE   AND    RED. 

"How  is  it  that  you  went  to  South 
America  ?  "  said  Dr.  Prescott.  "  I  thought 
that  those  who  have  been  brought  up  to 
this  life  seldom,  if  ever,  left  it." 

"  Well,  I'll  tell  you.  I  told  you  I  was 
'  coureur  du  bois '  till  I  was  eighteen  or  so ; 
and  the  white  people  that  carne  in  as  set- 
tlers always  took  me  for  one  of  the '  man- 
geurs  de  lard,'  pork-eaters,  you  know.  I 
mean  a  Canadian,  tied  up  like  all  of  'em. 
You  see  the  traders  an'  their  clerks  was 
the  aristocracy  of  the  country.  French 
they  mostly  were,  'n  some  English  or 
Scotch  now  an'  then.  The  fur  company 
had  its  head-quarters  at  Mackinaw,  an' 
other  trading-posts  round  in  different 
places.  Their  men,  the  coureurs  du  bois 
I've  been  talkin'  about,  came  mostly  from 
Canada.  They'd  hire  'em  for  five  years, 
an'  agree  to  give  'em  five  hundred  livres 
a  year, —  that's  about  eighty-four  dollars. 
They  gave  'em  an  outfit  every  year,  — 
two  cotton  shirts,  a  three-point  blanket,  a 
portage  collar,  an'  pair  o'  shoes.  Get  'em 
off  in  the  Indian  country,  an'  they  had  to 
buy  their  own  moccasins,  tobacco  (for  they 
can't  do  without  that),  an'  everything  else 
they  needed  of  the  traders ;  an'  they 
charged  'em  any  price  they  liked.  So, 
you  see,  they'd  run  in  debt,  an'  at  the  end 


WHITE   AND   RED.  159 

o'  the  five  year,  be  head  over  ears,  — 
over  a  hundred  dollars,  maybe.  Then 
he'd  have  to  stay  on  till  he'd  paid;  and  as 
he  never  could  catch  up  (for,  you  see, 
'twas  the  trader's  interest  not  to  have 
him),  he'd  stay  on  all  his  life.  The  traders 
lived  high  often,  but  these  fellers  didn't 
have  nothin'  but  hulled  corn,  an'  some  tal- 
ler or  pemmican  in  it  for  flavor.  Once  in 
a  while  they'd  get  a  little  salt  or  pork  for 
it,  but  it  cost  awful.  They  called  'em 
pork-eaters  because  they  never  had  no 
time  to  hunt  for  better  meat ;  an'  as  I  was 
all  the  while  with  'em,  they  called  me  that 
too,  till  I  got  to  be  trader  myself.  They 
did  it  then  too,  for  they  don't  care  for  a 
trader  that's  come  up  from  the  ranks ;  and 
that's  the  reason  I  left,  and  sha'n't  go  back 
there  no  more,  though  things  be  different 
now.  This  is  a  good  place,  an'  good  In- 
jins,  too.  Ojibways  is  the  best  there  are." 

"  Then  you  have  not  forgotten  the  lan- 
guage?" 

"  Cried  in  it  afore  I  could  speak,"  Aiken 
answered,  "so  I  ain't  likely  to.  I've  al- 
ways sort  of  held  to  it.  You've  picked  it 
up  pretty  well,  too,  but  I  shouldn't  wonder 
if  I  could  help  you." 

"You  could,  indeed,"  said  Dr.  Prescott. 
"  We  have  no  way  of  learning  it,  except 


160  WHITE   AND    RED. 

word  by  word  from  the  Indians ;  and  you 
know  English  so  well,  you  could  translate 
it  into  Ojibway  for  us,  and  it  would  be  the 
greatest  help  to  talk  with  you,  and  have 
you  correct  us." 

"  Well,"  said  Aiken,  looking  very  much 
pleased,  u  traders  ginerally  are  agin  whites 
learning  the  language,  for  they  think,  you 
see,  ef  you  know  too  much,  you'll  spile 
their  trade ;  but  I  ain't  one  o'  that  sort, 
an'  you're  welcome  to  any  help  I've  got  to 
give." 

So  it  happened  that,  three  or  four  even- 
ings in  the  week,  Aiken  came  over ;  and 
though  he  knew  nothing  about  grammar, 
still  helped  them  in  many  ways ;  so  that 
before  the  winter  ended,  though  far 
enough  from  knowing  Ojibway,  they  could 
easily  make  themselves  understood,  and 
were  each  day  gaining  more.  Georgy 
and  Fanny  improved  in  their  English,  too, 
and  the  other  children  could  read  a  very 
little  in  the  Testament,  and  were  delighted 
with  all  they  learned.  They  could  spell 
now,  in  three  or  four  letters ;  and  Mrs. 
Prescott  began  an  experiment,  which  did 
not  succeed  so  well  as  she  had  hoped. 

Georgy  had  a  slate  which  had  been 
brought  from  Crow  Wing.  On  this  slate 
she  made  rough  drawings  of  animals,  and 


WHITE   AND    RED.  '•       161 

printing  the  English  name  in  large  letters 
underneath,  had  the  children  spell  them. 
Sozette,  the  quickest  of  the  scholars,  gen- 
erally led  off.  For  instance,  Mrs.  Prescott, 
drawing  a  cat,  would  point  to  the  name 
underneath,  and  say,  "  Wagonind  ?"  (what 
is  it  ?) 

"  C-a-t,  meenoose"  Sozette  would  answer. 

u  C-a-t,  cat, "  Mrs.  Prescott  would  say. 
"  Spell  it  together,  children." 

"  C-a-t,  cat?  came  from  Georgy  and 
Fanny ;  but  "  C-a-t,  meenoose"  from  all  the 
rest,  till  told  they  must  speak  the  English 
word  ;  when  " C-a-t,  cat"  would  be  heard, 
almost  whispered. 

"  Now,  what  is  this  ?  "  Mrs.  Prescott 
would  go  on,  rubbing  out  the  cat,  and 
drawing  an  ox. 

"  0-x,  bezheekee"  would  sound ;  and  then, 
began  the  same  trouble  all  over  again. 

"  English  has  short,  easy  words,"  Mrs. 
Prescott  would  say,  taking  up  a  pin. 
"  This  is  p-i-n,  pin ;  but  you  say, '  ish  te  gou 
sharboneeken'  "  (needle  with  a  head). 

u  Ojibway  nisheshin ;  Shogenos  ka  win 
nisheshin"  (Ojibway  good;  English  not 
good),  was  always  the  answer,  till  mamma 
was  almost  discouraged,  though  she  per- 
severed in  making  them  learn  two  or 
three  English  words  every  day.  She  could 


162  WHITE   AND    RED. 

teach  them  to  sew  neatly,  and  to  wash 
their  faces ;  and  as  they  were  much  inter- 
ested in  the  pictures  in  "  Harper's  Weekly," 
and  some  other  papers,  she  finally  made 
seeing  them  the  reward  of  all  who  had 
spelled  and  pronounced  three  English 
words,  and  who  came  looking  tolerably 
neat.  A  tin  pan  was  hung  in  the  Indian 
room,  and  a  coarse  towel  ;  and  as  most  of 
them  had  no  convenience  for  washing  in 
the  wigwams,  they  were,  on  the  whole, 
rather  pleased  at  doing  it  there, —  above 
all  as  a  piece  of  brown  soap  was  given 
them,  for  this  costs  the  Indians,  as  the 
traders  sell  it,  seventy-five  cents  a  small 
bar. 

Josance  had  returned  from  his  hunt,  but 
was  too  well  pleased  at  finding  Sozette  in 
such  good  quarters,  to  think  of  taking  her 
away ;  and  so  she  stayed  on,  tormenting 
and  amusing  them  by  turns.  Little 
Thunder  had  come  long  before  this,  for 
'twas  now  the  middle  of  February ;  and 
though  his  train  had  proved  to  be  not 
wide  enough  for  the  box  of  provisions,  the 
kerosene  had  been  safely  brought,  and 
they  enjoyed  the  bright  evenings  all  the 
better  for  having,  at  one  time,  been  forced 
to  depend  on  pine-knots.  The  keenest 
cold  was  past,  for  twenty  below  zero  is 


WHITE   AND    RED.  163 

• 

warm  for  Red  Lake ;  and  four  times,  in 
the  month  of  January,  their  spirit  ther- 
mometer had  fallen  to  from  forty-five  to 
fifty-four  degrees  below.  The  coldest  win- 
ter for  years,  all  said ;  and  in  the  one  mail 
which  had  come  to  them  by  one  of  the 
traders,  since  reaching  there,  the  papers 
spoke  of  it  as  very  severe  everywhere. 
Iron  skinned  the  fingers,  if  touched  with 
an  ungloved  hand ;  and  now  and  then  an 
Indian  came  in  with  shockingly  frozen 
feet.  One  in  particular,  Harry  will  not 
forget,  who  walked  across  the  lake,  fifteen 
miles,  to  get  some  ointment.  Three  of 
his  toes  were  entirely  gone,  and  the  raw 
flesh  seemed  to  quiver  as  Dr.  Prescott 
dressed  it;  yet  the  young  man  sat  still, 
smoking,  and  humming  the  sort  of  minor 
chant  they  all  know,  and  smiling  as  Mrs. 
Prescott  gave  him  some  bread. 

"Kaget,  sunnygut "  (That  is  dreadful), 
Harry  said,  looking  at  his  foot. 

"  It  is  nothing,"  the  young  Indian  an- 
swered ;  and  though  he  winced  as  he  bore 
his  weight  again  on  the  foot,  he  walked 
off  as  freely  as  if  nothing  were  the  matter. 

Snow  fell  constantly.  So  much  had  not 
fallen  for  years,  old  Hugh  said,  and  it  lay 
now  between  three  and  four  feet  on  a 
level,  and  drifts  every  now  and  then  of 


164  WHITE   AND    RED 

twice  that  depth.  No  teams  could  come 
through  from  Leech  Lake;  a  road  had 
been  made  by  the  dog-trains  which  went 
back  and  forth  for  the  traders,  but  it  was 
only  a  narrow  ridge,  hardly  a  foot  wide ; 
no  horse  could  stand  on  it,  and  a  sled, 
whether  drawn  by  them  or  oxen,  \vould 
tip  off,  first  one  side  and  then  the  other, 
while  they  struggled  through  the  drifts. 
The  paths  to  the  wigwams  are  like  this : 
the  Indians  walk  always  in  single  file,  and 
there  was  but  one  path  where  Harry  and 
his  mother  could  walk  side  by  side,  with- 
out tumbling  off!  With  such  deep  snow, 
snow-shoes  are  very  little  use,  and  many 
of  the  Indians  were  unable  to  go  to  the 
winter  hunt,  and  remained  at  home,  so 
that  the  traders'  supply  of  furs  was  less 
than  usual. 

There  are  three  hunts :  the  long  one  in 
the  fall,  beginning  in  October  generally, 
and  ending  early  in  December ;  a  short 
one  in  January  and  another  long  one, 
beginning  the  last  of  February,  and  end- 
ing at  sugaring  time.  The  trader  whom 
the  Indian  may  choose,  supplies  him  with 
traps,  powder  and  shot,  tobacco,  and  what 
other  things  he  may  need,  the  Indian  bind- 
ing himself  to  give  a  certain  number  of 
skins  in  payment.  Generally  he  keeps 


WHITE   AND    RED.  165 

his  promises  faithfully  ;  though  sometimes, 
if  he  gets  angry  for  any  cause,  he  goes  to 
another  trader  and  disposes  of  his  furs. 
On  this  account  they  are  always  on  the 
watch  ;  and  each  trader  sends  out  men, 
who  fill  the  office  of  the  coureurs  du  bois 
I  have  spoken  of,  travelling  long  distances 
through  the  snow,  and  often  getting  the 
skins  in  the  hunter's  camp.  When,  too, 
it  is  heard  that  an  Indian  is  on  his  way 
in,  men  from  the  different  stores  go  out, 
each  one  trying  to  persuade  him  to  sell  to 
them.  Aiken  complained  bitterly  of  this, 
saying  that  Fairbanks,  the  other  trader, 
watched  all  night  for  the  Indians,  who 
travel  most  at  that  time  in  the  winter,  as 
going  over  the  snow  by  daylight  often 
brings  on  what  is  called  snow-blindness. 
They  hunt  sometimes  in  twos  or  threes, 
but  more  often  alone.  The  traps  for  mink, 
otter,  and  musk-rats,  are  set  near  their 
haunts ;  and  how  many  are  caught  in  a 
good  season,  you  can  judge,  when  I  tell 
you  that  nearly  fifteen  hundred  of  mink 
alone  were  brought  in  to  the  two  posts  at 
Red  and  Leech  lakes,  last  winter. 

The  hunter  eats  the  bodies  of  the  ani- 
mals taken,  and  through  the  day  busies 
himself  in  skinning  them,  scraping  and  oil- 
ing the  inside  of  the  skin,  and  drying  it 


166  WHITE   AND    RED. 

near  the  fire.  Wolves  and  foxes,  which 
prowl  about  any  camp,  find  pieces  of  meat 
lying  around,  and  eating  them,  are  soon 
attacked  by  a  sickness,  which  stretches 
them  out  stiff  and  stark.  The  hunter  con- 
siders his  traps  too  precious  for  them,  and 
uses  poison  instead,  a  little  of  which  he 
sprinkles  on  the  meat.  A  bear  is  some- 
times, though  rarely,  met ;  the  Indians  sel- 
dom go  out  to  attack  them  alone,  but  in 
parties  of  two  or  three,  follow  their  track, 
and  drive  them  out  of  the  caves,  where 
they  spend  much  of  the  time  in  winter. 
To  every  Indian  he  is  more  or  less  "  mani- 
tou,"  for  the  medicine-men  wear  necklaces 
of  bears'  claws ;  and  whoever  kills  one  is 
accounted  a  brave. 

Sometimes  a  moose  or  elk  is  started,  and 
then  a  furious  chase  on  snow-shoes  follows. 
The  dogs,  one  or  two  of  which  always  ac- 
company the  hunter,  and  have  the  pointed 
nose  and  general  appearance  of  the  fox, 
chase  the  poor  animal  till  it  is  exhausted, 
and  then  penning  it  in  some  corner,  the 
Indian,  on  coming  up,  either  shoots,  or 
cuts  the  throat  with  his  long  knife. 

All  the  meat  which  cannot  be  eaten  is 
cut  in  strips,  and  smoked  a  little  over  the 
fire,  ready  to  be  taken  home  for  family 
use.  Soup  made  of  this  smoked  meat,  and 


WHITE   AND    RED.  167 

thickened  with  flour,  is  almost  as  great  a 
luxury  as  dog  soup.  Harry  and  papa 
grew  to  like  moose  meat  very  much,  but 
mamma  could  never  quite  get  over  the 
strong,  smoky  taste.  Rabbits  were  very 
plenty;  and  on  the  scaffolds  put  up  for 
that  purpose  before  every  lodge,  hung 
many  hundreds  of  white-fish,  which,  being 
caught  late  in  the  fall,  are  frozen  and 
strung  on  poles,  by  a  hole  made  in  the 
head.  The  meat  is  pure  white,  firm,  and 
delicate  ;  so  much  prized,  indeed,  that 
large  quantities  caught  in  Lake  Superior 
are  packed  in  ice,  and  sent  inland,  and 
numbers  more  salted  like  cod.  It  is  said 
to  be  found  only  in  Lake  Superior,  and 
those  connected  with  it ;  and  there  are 
none  at  Leech  Lake,  —  tullibees,  a  smaller 
and  somewhat  coarser  fish,  taking  their 
place.  The  country  lying  northwest  of 
Superior,  between  that  lake  and  Red  Lake, 
is  almost  unexplored ;  and  Dr.  Prescott 
often  said  that  if  alone,  he  should  be 
tempted  to  start  off  with  some  of  the  In- 
dians, when  spring  came,  and  try  to  dis- 
cover the  stream  which  must  somewhere 
connect  the  two  lakes,  if  what  they  told 
him  was  true ;  to  which  mamma  always 
answered  that  he  had  been  on  one  wild 
expedition,  and  that  was  enough. 


168  WHITE   AND    RED. 

Sozette  had  been  warmly  clothed. 
Mamma  wanted  to  cut  her  hair,  but  this 
was  contrary  to  all  Indian  custom,  and 
could  not  be  thought  of.  So  the  wild 
locks  were  braided  and  tied  ;  but  Sozette's 
fashion  of  rolling  down  hill  when  she  went 
for  water,  generally  untied  them,  and  she 
came  back  with  them  flying  around  her 
face.  Still,  she  was  clean  now,  and  very 
proud  of  her  two  dresses ;  and  still  more 
so  of  a  new  apron,  on  the  bottom  of  which 
were  sewed  several  rows  of  red  braid,  pre- 
sented by  Harry. 

One  Sunday  morning  she  did  not  appear, 
and  a  boy  of  fourteen  or  fifteen,  who  lived 
in  one  of  the  wigwams  close  by,  was  seen 
parading  back  and  forth,  with  this  apron 
tied  about  his  head.  Noon  came,  and  still 
no  Sozette.  Harry  went  down  to  her 
father's  wigwam,  to  which  he  had  moved 
after  renting  his  house  to  Aiken,  and 
which  was  shut  up.  That  is,  Josance,  hav- 
ing gone  away  for  the  day,  had  put  a  pine 
bough  in  front  of  the  door,  to  show  that 
he  was  not  at  home ;  and  on  seeing  that, 
no  one  would  enter,  though  his  things 
were  lying  on  the  floor,  and  a  fox-skin, 
worth  several  dollars,  hung  from  the  pole 
of  the  wigwam. 

Night  came;  and  at  dusk  Sozette  was 


WHITE   AND    RED.  169 

seen  stealing  up  to  the  Campbells',  from 
whence  Georgy  presently  walked  down, 
looking  very  much  disturbed,  and  holding 
a  ribbon  in  his  hand. 

"  Sozette  up  with  us,"  he  said  ;  "  she 
'fraid  to  come  here." 

"  Why  ?  "  asked  Mrs.  Prescott. 

"  For  coz  she  throw  stick  all  night" 

"  Do  what  ?  "  said  Dr.  Prescott. 

"  Throw  stick,  as  you  saw  good  while 

*/ 

ago ;  all  shape  stick,  you  know,  —  throw 
'em  down  :  sometime  lie  good  one  way,  — 
then  sometime  lie  very  bad ;  then  you 
lose." 

"  I  know,"  said  Harry  ;  "  it's  what  they 
gamble  with,  mamma.  Sticks,  cut  in  all 
sorts  of  shapes,  like  arrows  and  things  ;  if 
they  lie  straight  when  you  throw  them 
down,  you  win ;  but  if  they  cross,  you 
lose." 

"  She  lose  all  the  time,"  said  Georgy.  "I 
play  some,  an'  she  bet  this  ribbon.  1  win  ; 
then  bum  by,  pretty  soon,  my  father  know, 
an'  he  say,  — '  Bring  it  here ; '  so  I  do. 
Then  she  bet  her  stockings,  an'  lose  them ; 
an'  she  bet  her  apron,  an'  Waskiss  get 
that.  That  was  Sattleday.  Then  I  go 
home,  an'  she  play  all  night  with  some 
more,  till  the  sun  come,  an'  lose  her 
clothes  most  all.  Waskiss  get  'em,  an'  she 


170  WHITE   AND    RED. 

go  to  sleep.  She  'fraid  to  come  back.  She 
say  she  tell  her  father  you  whip  her,  an' 
took  'em  away,  an'  tell  her  not  come  here 
any  more." 

"  What  will  you  do  ? "  said  Harry,  after 
Georgy  had  gone. 

"  Go  first  and  see  Waskiss's  mother," 
papa  answered,  "  and  tell  her  that  as  the 
clothes  were  not  Sozette's,  but  ours,  he 
must  give  them  back.  They  were  given 
to  her  to  wear  so  long  as  she  was  good, 
and  Nah  gon  a  sake  was  to  have  them  if 
trouble  came  up." 

So  papa  went  down  to  the  wigwam, 
coming  back  presently  with  dress,  petti- 
coat, stockings,  apron,  and  moccasins,  which 
he  said  Waskiss  had  at  first  refused  to  give 
up,  telling  him  they  had  been  won  in  fair 
play,  but  pulling  them  out  from  behind 
the  chimney  when  he  heard  that  they 
were  not  hers  to  lose.  Sozette  hovered 
about  the  windows,  having  heard  from 
Georgy  that  it  would  be  no  use  to  go  to 
her  father;  and  on  being  brought  in,  began 
to  cry,  and  promised  never  to  do  so  again. 
Josance  was  called  up  and  told  the  true 
state  of  the  case,  that  she  need  not  think 
it  was  to  be  passed  over  lightly,  and  then 
she  was  sent  home  for  the  night,  very 
much  in  disgrace. 


WHITE  AND   RED.  171 

m 

Mamma  sat  in  a  brown  study  for  some 
time  after  she  left,  till  roused  by  papa,  who 
said,  — "  What  are  you  thinking  of,  Mary  ?  " 

"That  the  child  is  hardly  to  blame. 
They  have  so  few  amusements,  that  I  can't 
wonder  at  their  playing  anything  which 
will  pass  away  the  time.  I  wish  we  had  a 
checker-board." 

"  That  last  piece  of  board  up-stairs,  shall 
make  one,"  said  papa,  "  and  black  and 
white  buttons  will  do  for  the  men.  I  am 
glad  you  thought  of  it." 

" '  Tit  tat  to  ! '  "  said  Harry,  suddenly 
jumping  up.  "I'll  show  her  how  to  play 
Hit  tat  to,'  to-morrow.  I  can  make  the 
marks  for  that  on  the  slate,  and  maybe 
they  could  learn  dominoes  too." 

So,  when  to-morrow  came,  and  Sozette's 
morning  sewing  was  over,  Harry,  who  had 
his  slate,  and  some  red  and  white  corn 
ready,  went  out  into  the  Indian  room,  and 
explained  the  game  to  her.  She  caught 
the  idea  at  once,  and  both  Georgy  and  she 
could  soon  make  a  row.  Two  Indians, 
who  came  in  for  medicine,  stopped  to  look, 
and  Sozette  immediately  began  giving  les- 
sons. The  two  squatted  down  on  the  floor, 
with  the  slate  between,  joined  soon  by  two 
or  three  more,  who  were  equally  interest- 
ed. Harry  drew  another  set  of  lines  on 


172  WHITE   AND    BED. 

the  board  in  the  corner,  and  played  there 
for  a  little  while  with  Sozette,  giving  up 
his  place,  finally,  to  Ma  dwa  ga  non  ind, 
who  had  come  for' a  visit;  and,  surprised 
to  find  several  of  his  subjects  on  the  floor, 
over  a  slate,  stopped  to  see  what  it  meant. 
He  learned  the  game,  and  was  pleased 
with  the  paper  for  it  which  Harry  gave 
him,  putting  it  carefully  into  his  tobacco- 
pouch. 

"One  good  deed  done,"  papa  said,  laugh- 
ing, when  Harry  came  in.  "'Tit  tat  to'  is 
surely  better  than  cards ;  and  you  have  all 
the  credit,  Harry,  of  having  introduced  it 
into  the  Ojibway  nation.  How  do  you 
like  my  work  ?  " 

Papa  held  up  the  board,  which  he  had 
planed  thin  and  smooth ;  then  marked  on 
it  the  right  number  of  little  squares,  and 
painted  them  red  and  black.  A  line  of 
red  and  black  made  a  border  for  the  whole ; 
and  when  it  was  set  up  to  dry,  where  one 
could  not  see  the  rough  edges,  Harry  de- 
clared it  was  just  as  pretty  as  a  store  one. 
At  any  rate,  it  answered  the  purpose ;  and 
Sozette,  learning  to  play  the  game,  gave 
up  "  throwing  stick "  altogether.  The 
white  buttons  she  called  Ojibways,  and  the 
black  ones  Sioux ;  and  many  a  fierce  bat- 
tle was  fought  that  winter  by  the  children. 


WHITE   AND    RED.  173 

Waskiss  grew  to  like  the  game  very  much ; 
but  if  he  found  that  the  Sioux  were  beat- 
ing, dumped  black  and  white  together  on 
the  table,  and  began  again.  Leading 
Feather  begged  for  a  board,  and  Dr.  Pres- 
cott  made  him  one  in  the  same  way  ;  the 
older  Indians,  too,  enjoying  the  game,  and 
spending  at  it  many  hours  which  would 
otherwise  have  been  given  to  cards.  So 
days  went  on,  and  by  and  by  came  to 
Harry  an  adventure,  of  which  you  shall 
hear  soon. 


174  WHITE   AND    BED. 


CHAPTER  VIII. 

ON  the  other  side  of  the  lake  lived  E 
sen  e  wub  (Little  Rock),  chief  over  a  band 
of  some  hundred  Indians,  and  the  tallest 
man,  not  a  giant,  that  Harry  had  ever 
seen,  for  he  was  six  feet  four  and  a  half 
inches.  This  winter,  when  not  off  on  a 
hunt,  he  had  spent  with  his  youngest 
wife,  who  lived  near  Little  Thunder's,  call- 
ing now  and  then  on  the  two  who  were 
on  the  other  side  of  the  lake. 

A  new  lodge  is  made  by  the  Ojibways 
for  every  new  wife  taken ;  and  though  the 
common  Indians  generally  have  but  one, 
the  chiefs  take  as  many  as  they  can 
clothe.  "  Hole-in-the-Day "  has  six,  Ma 
dwa  ga  non  ind  four,  and  the  other  chiefs 
in  proportion  to  their  rank.  The  oldest 
son  always  succeeds  the  father,  and  so  the 
right  is  handed  down,  unless  the  chief  die 
without  children ;  in  which  case,  the 
brother  next  in  age  takes  his  place.  Ma 
dwa  ga  non  ind  is  head  chief,  you  know, 
and  to  him  are  referred  all  disputes  which 
may  arise  among  the  different  bands. 


WHITE   AND    RED.  175 

His  four  brothers  are  also  men  of  great 
influence,  two  of  them  being  medicine- 
men, and  his  sister  is  Little  Rock's  wife. 

Mo  se  mo  ranks  next;  a  surly,  discon- 
tented Indian,  always  growling  because 
he  was  not  made  head  chief.  Then  come 
E  sen  e  wub,  Nab  gou  a  ga  nabe,  and 
last,  Little  Thunder,  whose  band  numbers 
about  twenty.  So  far  as  Dr.  Prescott 
could  find  out,  no  tribute  is  ever  paid  these 
chiefs;  on  the  contrary,  as  they  receive 
more  money  and  provisions  from  Govern- 
ment, they  are  expected  to  aid  any  who, 
through  sickness,  or  any  other  reason,  are 
unable  to  hunt.  They  take  the  seat  of 
honor  in  lodges,  and  speak  first  in  council ; 
but  further  than  this,  no  more  respect  is 
paid  to  them  than  to  any  other  Indian. 

Little  Rock's  eldest  wife  was  sick,  on  the 
other  side  of  the  lake ;  too  sick  to  come 
herself  for  medicine,  and  her  husband,  hav- 
ing heard  of  it,  was  very  anxious  that  Dr. 
Prescott  should  go  over  with  him,  carry 
some  medicine,  and  tell  him  if  she  was  in 
any  danger.  The  night,  he  said,  could  be 
spent  in  the  well  wife's  lodge,  where  his 
oldest  son  lived,  and  where  there  was  much 
meat. 

"  0,  let  me  go  too,"  Harry  said,  when 
he  heard  the  plan. 


176  WHITE   AND    RED. 

"  You  cannot  walk  fifteen  miles,"  papa 
answered,  "  and  you  must  stay  to  take  care 
of  mamma." 

"  The  white  squaw  shall  come  with  the 
child,"  said  Little  Rock.  "  She  cannot 
walk  like  our  women,  and  the  dogs  shall 
take  her  across  the  lake." 

"  Would  you  like  to  go,  Mary  ?  "  papa 
said.  "  It  will  not  be  like  our  coming  up, 
you  know,  for  the  weather  is  milder  now, 
and  the  dogs  go  fast." 

Mrs.  Prescott  hesitated  at  first,  but  Little 
Rock  urged  all  to  come,  and  Harry  begged 
hard,  telling  her  she  could  not  stay  alone, 
and  would  keep  him  at  home  too,  if  she 
did  not  go.  So  at  last  it  was  decided  to 
lock  up  the  house,  and  leave  it  in  the 
farmer's  care  ;  and  early  next  morning,  E 
sen  e  wub  came  over  with  Little  Thun- 
der's dog-train,  which  you  know  all  about. 
Mamma  put  all  the  bread  in  the  house  in 
a  basket,,  knowing  that  they  would  find 
none  where  they  were  going ;  and  with  it 
a  little  pail  of  apple-sauce  for  the  sick 
woman. 

The  train  was  exactly  a  foot  wide,  and 
nearly  eight  feet  long ;  and  on  each  side 
Little  Rock  had  put  a  stick  for  mamma  to 
hold  by,  knowing  that  she  was  not  used  to 
balancing.  A  low  box  was  in  the  middle, 


WHITE   AND    RED.  177 

and  on  it  she  sat  down  on  three  blankets, 
laid  out  flat,  which,  when  she  had  made 
herself  as  narrow  as  she  could,  were  rolled 
about  her,  and  tied  down  to  keep  them  in 
place.  Just  in  front  of  her  sat  Harry, 
wrapped  in  the  same  way.  Little  Thun- 
der had  come,  partly  to  guide  the  dogs, 
and  partly  because  the  sick  woman  was 
his  cousin,  and  the  train  started,  encour- 
aged by  a  cheer,  which  Georgy  began,  and 
in  which  everybody  who  had  come  out  to 
look  joined.  E  sen  e  wub's  tall  figure  led 
the  way,  wrapped  in  scarlet  blanket,  with 
cap  of  the  same ;  then  the  dogs,  and  Little 
Thunder  close  behind  with  his  whip,  and 
all  in  white  from  head  to  foot ;  and  last 
papa,  in  an  army  overcoat,  and  blanket 
cap,  with  green  goggles  on,  to  prevent 
snow  -  blindness.  Indeed,  they  all  wore 
green  goggles,  except  mamma,  who  had 
a  green  veil  instead  ;  and  you  may  fancy 
Harry,  grown  fat  and  brown  since  his 
coming  to  Red  Lake,  rolled  up  to  his  ears 
in  blankets,  and  these  green  goggles 
astride  of  his  small  nose. 

Mamma  held  fast  to  the  two  sticks  as 
they  started,  for,  so  close  were  they  to  the 
ground,  there  seemed  no  reason  why  she 
should  not  find  herself  at  any  moment  on 

that  instead  of  the  train :  and  Harry  sat 
12 


178  WHITE   AND    RED. 

up  straight,  and  pushed  his  feet  against 
the  curving  front,  to  steady  himself. 

"  Suppose  the  dogs  should  see  a  deer 
and  just  run,"  he  said ;  "  we're  all  tied  up, 
and  couldn't  get  off!  Wouldn't  it  be  fun  ? 
Or  suppose  we  should  meet  a  bear  the 
other  side ;  that's  where  they  are,  you 
know,  mamma,  and  they  could  bite  our 
heads  right  off,  just  as  easy,  before  we 
could  get  away.  There's  ever  so  many 
things  that  might  happen." 

As  he  talked  the  train  went  by  the  trad- 
ing-post, and  Aiken  brought  out  a  cake  of 
maple-sugar  for  him,  and  laughed  at  the 
goggles.  The  path  lay  now  through  the 
hard- woods,  as  all  timber,  which  is  not  pine, 
is  called.  Here  it  was  principally  maple 
and  white  birch,  and  they  soon  left  the 
narrow  belt  behind,  coming  out  on  rather 
high  ground,  passing  the  old  Jesuit  mis- 
sion, forsaken  years  before ;  and,  though 
the  cross  still  surmounted  one  building, 
given  up  to  the  Indians,  many  of  whom 
came  out  to  watch  them  down  the  bluff. 
There  were  graves  here  of  those  who  had 
died  in  the  Roman  Catholic  faith,  the  cross 
on  each  rising  above  the  snow  which  cov- 
ered them. 

The  path  led  down  between  two  very 
steep  bluffs,  and  the  train  bumped  from 


WHITE   AND    RED.  179 

drift  to  drift,  till  safely  on  the  lake,  when 
the  way  for  some  miles  was  marked  by 
poles  stuck  down  in  the  snow,  so  that  if 
Indians  became  snow-blind  in  crossing, 
they  could  have  some  guide  on  the  way. 
•Here  the  dogs  would  have  run,  had  not 
Little  Thunder  held  them  back,  knowing 
that  Dr.  Prescott  could  not  keep  up  at 
that  pace,  though  he  had  learned  the  little 
trot  of  the  Indians,  which  is  far  easier  than 
walking.  Now  and  then  he  slipped  from 
the  narrow  ridge,  but  the  crust  of  the  deep 
snow  on  either  side  was  hard  enough  to 
prevent  his  sinking  into  the  water,  though, 
had  he  been  fifty  pounds  heavier,  he  would 
have  been  soaked  up  to  his  knees.  You 
will  wonder  how  water  could  be  there,  and 
stay  water,  with  the  thermometer  at  eigh- 
teen degrees  below  zero,  as  it  was  that 
morning,  and  I  will  tell  you. 

When  so  great  a  quantity  of  snow  falls 
as  did  last  winter,  the  weight  gradually 
presses  down  the  ice ;  and  on  the  same 
principle  that  a  full  pail  of  water  will  run 
over,  if  you  drop  any  heavy  body  into  it, 
so  the  water  rises  over  the  ice  and  under 
the  warm  covering  of  the  crusted  snow. 
As  more  and  more  falls,  more  water  of 
course  rises,  kept  from  freezing  by  the 
white  blanket  Dame  Nature  has  spread 


180  WHITE   AND    RED. 


over  it ;  and  at  the  time  Harry  crossed  the 
lake,  the  last  of  February,  five  or  six  inches 
of  water,  or  rather  slush,  lay  between  the 
ice  and  snow,  and  would,  when  warmer 
days  came,  make  it  almost  impassable. 

As  they  left  the  bluffj  they  saw  a  dark 
speck  on  the  ice,  coming  toward  them,  and 
a  little  more  than  half-way  over,  met  it. 
It  was  Ma  ja  ke  osh,  brother  to  Nah  gou  a 
gan  abe,  who  had  been  off  on  a  hunt ;  and 
by  the  way  E  sen  e  wub  said.  "  Ah,  ta ! 
ishtay ! "  Harry  knew  that  something  more 
than  common  was  being  brought  home. 

"  What  is  it  ? "  he  said  to  papa,  who  had 
gone  forward  to  look. 

"Something  which  they  say  has  not 
been  taken  here  for  years,  and  will  make 
Ma  ja  ke  osh  rich.  He  has  trapped  a  black 
fox  !  It  will  bring  three  or  four  hundred 
dollars  at  St.  Paul,  and  Aiken  will  give 
him  one  hundred  at  least  for  it." 

Mamma  looked  at  the  wonderfully  fine, 
beautiful  fur  ;  and  then  Ma  ja  ke  osh,  who 
had  also  a  bear  -  skin,  and  with  whom  were 
two  dogs,  which  snapped  and  sprung  at 
the  others,  passed  on,  looking  well  content 
with  his  work. 

A  little  after  noon  they  reached  the 
other  side,  going  up  even  higher  bluffs 
than  those  they  had  left  behind.  Look  on 


WHITE   AND   RED.  181 

your  maps,  far  up  in  Northern  Minnesota, 
and  you  will  see  that  Red  Lake  narrows 
in  the  middle,  and  broadens  out  again. 
This  strait,  narrower  really  than  it  looks 
on  the  map,  is  formed  by  a  point  of  land 
running  out  some  four  miles.  The  coun- 
try between  this  lake  and  Lake  Wini- 
peg  is  made  up  of  small  lakes,  countless 
streams,  and  much  swamp,  and  only  the 
Indians  know  it  well.  Going  northeast 
through  a  little  stream,  called  Sturgeon 
River,  and  across  one  portage  to  Rainy 
River,  they  pass  down  to  Superior  in  the 
summer  ;  and  it  is,  they  say,  by  a  stream 
on  this  portage,  filled  with  rocks  and  rap- 
ids, that  the  white-fish  from  Superior  enter 
Red  Lake. 

Little  Rock's  lodge  stood  with  nine  or 
ten  others,  under  the  shelter  of  the  pine 
woods,  which  had  at  some  time  extended 
to  the  edge  of  the  bluff,  but  gradually  had 
been  cut  down  for  fuel.  The  Indians  came 
out  to  meet  them,  saying,  "  Bo  jou,"  cor- 
dially ;  and  Harry  and  mamma,  who  were 
stiff  from  keeping  so  long  in  one  position, 
went  into  the  wigwam  of  Little  Rock's 
well  wife,  and  sat  down  on  a  rush  mat 
before  the  fire,  while  papa  went  into  the 
next  one  to  see  the  sick  woman,  who 
proved  to  be  much  better,  and  really 


182  WHITE   AND  RED. 

needed  no  medicine  at  all,  though  she 
insisted  on  taking  some.  In  the  wigwam 
where  Harry  sat,  everything  seemed  neat. 
Muskemotis  of  corn  and  potatoes  were  in 
one  corner;  bundles  of  rushes,  used  in 
making  rush-mats,  lay  about;  strips  of 
meat  hung  from  a  pole  across  the  wigwam, 
and  a  young  girl  was  pounding  corn  in  a 
trough  made  from  a  block  of  wood  hol- 
lowed out.  In  the  corner  lay  an  old 
woman  rolled  in  a  blanket ;  and  near  her 
sat  the  wife,  making  bead-work  bands,  and 
looking  shyly  now  and  then  at  the  visitors. 
Three  fat  puppies  slept  near  the  fire,  and 
a  yellow  cat  lay  with  her  head  resting  on 
the  neck  of  one. 

a  Pussy,  pussy !  "  Harry  called,  but  pussy 
paid  no  attention. 

"  Pussy,  pussy  !  "  he  said  again  ;  and 
then,  remembering  where  he  was,  called, 
"  Meenoose,  meenoose  ! " 

Pussy  opened  her  eyes,  and  came  at 
once  to  be  stroked,  and  mamma  said 
gravely,  "  Meenoose  kawin  kendun  Shoge- 
nos ;  kee  kendun  Ojibway"  (Pussy  does 
not  understand  English ;  she  only  knows 
Ojibway). 

What  a  laugh  this  little  joke  made! 
Bashfulness  ended  at  once,  and  mamma 
found  it  more  than  she  could  do  to  answer 


WHITE   AND    RED*.  183 

all  the  questions  asked.  Two  children, 
who  had  been  rolling  about  almost  naked 
on  the  rush  mats,  finding  that  Harry  could 
understand  them  pretty  well,  slipped  on 
their  little  blanket  coats,  and  took  him  out 
to  see  a  moose  which  had  been  brought  in 
whole  that  morning ;  and  mamma,  who  was 
now  warm,  went  into  the  next  wigwam 
to  see  the  other  wife,  who  was  much 
pleased  with  the  apple-sauce.  A  medi- 
cine-man was  there,  beating  a  drum ;  and, 
distracted  by  the  noise,  Mrs.  Prescott  soon 
went  back  to  the  first  tent,  where  Win  a  pe, 
the  other  wife,  was  busy  getting  dinner. 
She  had  lived  with  Mrs.  Campbell  the  year 
before,  and  learned  a  very  little  house- 
keeping, and  mamma  was  glad  to  see  that 
her  pails  and  frying-pan  were  tolerably 
clean,  for  generally  she  had  a  very  reason- 
able dislike  to  food  from  Indian  dishes. 

Slices  of  moose-meat  had  been  cut  and 
were  frying  now  in  a  pan  with  some  Govern- 
ment pork ;  potatoes  bubbled  in  a  tin  pail 
over  the  fire,  and  soon  a  dinner  was  ready, 
which  with  the  addition  of  bread  and  salt 
from  the  basket  they  had  brought,  seemed 
delicious.  Little  Rock,  if  he  found  a  spe- 
cially tender  bit  of  meat,  presented  it,  on 
the  point  of  his  long  knife,  to  mamma,  and 
Mrs.  Little  Rock  peeled  potatoes  for  her 


184  WHITE   AND   RED. 

with  her  fingers,  both  of  which  kindnesses 
she  could  have  very  well  done  without; 
for  the  fingers,  dripping  with  pork-fat,  were 
first  sucked,  and  then  wiped  on  the 
blanket;  and  the  scalping-knife  had  cut 
tobacco  not  long  before,  to  say  nothing  of 
skinning  the  moose.  There  were  no  plates, 
and  only  two  tin  basins  for  the  tea,  from 
one  of  which,  papa,  mamma,  and  Harry, 
took  turns  in  drinking,  while  the  other 
one  did  duty  for  all  the  rest.  A  small 
mocock,  a  birch-bark  box,  was  brought  out, 
filled  with  maple-sugar ;  and  after  the 
meal  ended,  Little  Rock  insisted  on  their 
taking  it  home  with  them,  only  ceasing  to 
urge  when  he  heard  that  they  had  a 
large  mocockful,  which  would  last  till  su- 
garing-time  came. 

That  afternoon  they  went  about  among 
the  wigwams,  visiting  all,  close  by.  Mam- 
ma, who  finally  grew  tired,  went  back  and 
stayed  with  Win  a  pe,  who  toward  evening, 
probably  in  honor  of  her  visitors,  took  the 
youngest  child  and  washed  him  in  the  pail 
in  which  the  potatoes  had  been  boiled. 
They  had  more  for  supper,  cooked  in  this 
same  pail,  when  the  bath  was  over ;  but 
mamma,  who  had  lost  her  appetite,  ate 
only  some  bread,  and  drank  a  little  tea. 

At  evening,  as  many  Indians  as   could 


WHITE   AND   BED.  185 

get  into  the  lodge,  gathered  there ;  some 
had  been  off  on  the  hunt  with  Dr.  Prescott, 
and  knew  him,  though  he  had  forgotten 
them,  and  all  were  ready  to  be  entertained 
by  the  pictures  in  a  "  Harper  "  he  had  put 
in  his  pocket  on  starting,  and  which  he 
explained  to  them  as  well  as  his  stock 
of  Ojibway  would  allow.  At  last  he  took 
out  the  little  Testament,  and  read  from  it 
by  the  flickering  light,  some  of  the  most 
interesting  chapters  in  Matthew ;  telling 
them  it  was  Gitchee  Manitou's  book,  in 
which  He  told  His  will  to  all  His  children. 

Reading  Ojibway  so  that  one  can  be 
understood,  is  easy,  after  the  sounds  of  the 
letters  have  been  thoroughly  learned,  and 
they  understood  him  perfectly.  He  read 
last  the  eighteenth  chapter,  which  closes, 
you  know,  with  the  story  of  the  servant, 
who,  being  in  debt  to  his  master,  was  for- 
given, but  who  afterward  put  his  fellow- 
servant  in  prison  for  the  same  reason. 

"  Ka  win  nisheshin  zhee  mo  koman,"  the 
Indians  said.  (Not  a  good  man.) 

"  White  men  are  seldom  good,"  Lit- 
tle Thunder  said.  "  Indians  would  be 
ashamed  to  do  what  they  do.  The  white 
man  does  not  scalp  the  head,  but  he  poi- 
sons the  heart,  and  that  is  worse.  Gitchee 
Ogema  Lincoln  (the  great  white  chief.  Lin- 


186  WHITE    AND    BED. 

coin)  was  good,  and  there  are  some  like 
him  ;  but  a  white  man  killed  him,  —  and 
the  man  the  book  talks  to  you  of  was  also 
killed,  because  he  was  good.  The  white 
man  does  not  love  goodness.  His  heart  is 
bad." 

There  was  little  to  say  to  this,  and  soon 
they  separated.  The  blankets  were  spread, 
and  they  lay  down  by  the  lodge-fire,  white 
and  red,  side  by  side,  and  slept  the  long 
night  through. 

By  eight  next  morning  they  were  offj 
E  sen  e  wub  returning  with  them,  and  at 
two  o'clock  were  in  their  own  little  house 
again.  Que  we  zan  schus,  Ma  dwa  ga  non 
ind's  oldest  brother,  came  in  before  the 
fire  was  lighted,  and  asked  papa  to  go 
home  with  him  at  once,  as  his  little  girl 
was  bleeding  from  the  lungs  again.  An  di 
so  ge  zhe  coke,  was  her  name,  and  she  had 
been  over  often  to  see  them  this  winter, 
looking  thinner  and  paler  each  time.  She 
had  had  one  hemorrhage  before,  which  had 
been  checked,  but  papa  was  afraid  she 
could  not  live  till  spring,  as  she  was  at  the 
age  when  very  many  of  the  young  Indian 
girls  die  of  consumption.  He  went  with- 
out waiting  for  dinner,  coming  back  in  an 
hour  or  two,  looking  grave  and  tired. 

"  Poor  child  !  "  he  said ;  "  they  are  beat- 


WHITE   AND    RED.        ,  187 

ing  their  drums  about  her,  and  one  of  the 
men  has  put  at  the  door  a  piece  of  white 
cloth,  painted  red,  to  drive  away  the  mani- 
tou  which  has  made  her  bleed." 

«  Will  she  die  ?  "  Harry  asked. 

"  Not  this  time,  I  think,  though  she  is 
likely  to  at  any  time.  You  know  what  a 
stern,  silent  Indian  her  father  is,  and  yet 
he  is  as  tender  as  a  woman  with  that  little 
girl.  He  has  hardly  slept  for  three  or  four 
nights,  and  she  will  take  nothing  except 
from  him." 

"  I  will  go  over  to-morrow  and  carry  her 
something,"  said  mamma.  "Now  corne  to 
dinner,  for  you  must  be  famished." 

The  next  day  was  the  twenty-ninth  of 
February,  and  the  first  leap-year  Harry 
could  remember.  He  celebrated  it  by 
staying  in-doors,  for  heavy  snow  fell  all 
day  long,  and  spring  opened  in  a  whirl- 
wind ;  at  night  hail  and  rain  fell  together, 
and  a  faint  rumble  of  thunder  was  heard. 
Then  the  mercury  went  down,  down,  and 
by  morning  keen,  bitter  cold  was  upon 
them  once  more.  Papa  went  over  to  Que 
we  zan  schus'  every  day,  and  gradually  An 
di  so  ge  zhe  coke  grew  strong  enough  to 
walk  about  again.  The  cold  lessened,  and 
in  another  week  the  sun  shone  down  warm 
through  the  middle  of  the  day.  Dried  ap- 


188  WHITE  AND   BED. 

pies  they  had  plenty  of,  so  three  or  four 
times  a  week  Harry  and  mamma  carried 
over  apple-sauce  for  her,  and  became  inti- 
mate with  both  the  child  and  her  father. 

One  morning,  going  over  early  with 
papa,  they  found  women  clearing  away  the 
snow  from  the  open  ground  back  of  Que 
we  zan  schus',  with  their  snow-paddles, 
which  are  like  immense  wooden  spoons ; 
while  others  were  cutting  and  trimming 
long  poles,  and  bringing  pine  boughs.  In 
the  house  the  women  were  pounding  corn, 
and  washing  potatoes ;  and  large  tin  pails 
filled  with  both  were  in  the  fire-place, 
waiting  for  boiling. 

"  A  medicine  dance,  surely,"  papa  said  ; 
"  when  will  it  be,  An  di  so  ge  zhe  coke  ?  " 

"  To-day,"  she  answered ;  "  very  soon. 
They  are  killing  the  dogs  now." 

"What  will  they  dance  for?"  Harry 
said. 

"  For  me,"  said  An  di  so  ge  zhe  coke. 
a  The  blood  still  comes  into  my  mouth,  and 
they  will  take  away  the  manitou  to-day. 
See,  I  have  new  moccasins.  Come  when 
the  sun  is  high,  and  you  shall  see." 

So  at  noon  the  family  came  over,  find- 
ing the  Indians  gathered  together,  and 
every  preparation  made  for  a  "  Grand 
Medicine."  Poles  had  been  put  up,  cover- 


WHITE    AND    RED.  189 

ing  a  space  a  hundred  feet  long,  from 
which  the  snow  had  been  carefully  cleared. 
Against  these  poles  on  the  outside,  pine 
boughs  were  thickly  piled,  to  keep  off  the 
wind.  Within,  rush  mats  were  spread,  on 
which  were  seated  over  a  hundred  Indians, 
men,  women,  and  children ;  and  in  the 
centre  were  two  posts,  on  the  cord  be- 
tween which  hung  the  gifts  that  day  made 
to  the  medicine-men  by  the  father  of  the 
sick  child :  blankets,  long  pieces  of  calico, 
and  two  or  three  gay  shawls. 

Among  the  Ojibways  this  dance  is  a  sa- 
cred ceremony,  including  as  many  myste- 
rious rites  as  Freemasonry,  or  the  old  Dru- 
idical  worship  which  you  learn  about  in 
early  English  history,  and  all  are  initiated 
when  very  young.  There  are  many  de- 
grees, the  highest  of  which  can  only  be 
reached  by  the  oldest  men ;  and  no  Indian 
who  has  not  at  some  time  of  his  life  been 
received  into  the  circle,  can  pass  at  death 
to  the  happy  hunting  grounds. 

Between  this  world  and  the  world  of 
spirits,  they  believe  there  lies  a  pitch-black 
lake  of  boiling  water,  crossed  by  a  very 
slender  pole,  held  by  an  old  woman,  who 
sits  on  the  other  side.  The  Indian,  who 
in  this  life  has  listened  to  the  counsels  of 
the  medicine-men,  been  brave  on  the  war- 


190  WHITE   AND   RED. 

path,  a  good  hunter,  and  just  in  his  actions, 
crosses  the  pole  easily ;  but  if  he  has 
wronged  any  one,  and  failed  to  repair  the 
wrong,  has  been  a  coward,  or  slighted  the 
medicine-men,  he  falls  when  in  the  middle 
of  the  pole  ;  and  being  swept  down  by  the 
boiling  current  into  the  land  of  shadows, 
wanders  forever,  vainly  seeking  the  happy 
hunting  grounds. 

When  he  has  sinned  lightly,  though  not 
enough  to  forfeit  his  place,  the  old  woman 
turns  the  pole  over  and  over,  so  that  every 
nerve  is  strained  to  keep  his  balance,  and 
he  crosses  in  mortal  terror  of  falling. 

Harry  knew  this  story,  and  was  curious 
to  see  what  the  ceremonies  were.  Crooked 
Arm,  after  consulting  a  moment  with  one 
of  the  medicine-men,  gave  them  places  in 
the  middle  of  the  lodge.  Opposite  stood 
Que  we  zan  schus,  wrapped  in  his  blanket, 
his  head  bowed  upon  his  breast,  and  mov- 
ing up  and  down  as  the  Shakers  dance, 
though  his  hands  were  quiet.  Three  fires 
burned  at  regular  distances  from  each 
other,  taking  the  place,  so  Dr.  Prescott 
said,  of  three  posts,  each  painted  with 
three  stripes  of  different  colors,  which  are 
used  in  summer.  At  one  end  of  the  lodge, 
wrapped  in  blankets,  and  leaning  against 
a  stump,  was  the  sick  child ;  at  the  other, 


WHITE   AND    RED.  191 

five  medicine-men  of  different  grades,  the 
oldest  with  a  handkerchief  tied  about  his 
head.  He  had  been  scalped  by  the  Sioux, 
when  a  young  man,  on  the  war-path,  and 
left  for  dead  ;  but  reviving,  had  crawled 
into  some  bushes,  where  the  Ojibways,  who 
had  been  put  to  flight,  found  him.  From 
that  time,  professing  to  have  entered  the 
spirit  world,  he  devoted  himself  to  the 
medicine  dances,  and  was  now  the  leader 
in  them. 

Four  held  the  sacred  rattles,  while  the 
fifth,  seated  in  the  middle,  beat  two  drums 
which  stood  before  him,  with  such  energy, 
that  the  sweat  rolled  in  great  drops  down 
his  face.  All  held  medicine-bags :  those  of 
the  people,  who  sat  in  the  circle,  of  weasel- 
skins,  with  red  beads  where  the  eyes  had 
been,  and  some  charms  inside ;  those  of 
the  medicine-men,  of  mink. 

As  the  Prescotts  entered  the  circle,  corn 
and  potatoes  had  just  been  passed  around, 
which  all  were  eating.  As  they  finished, 
the. head  medicine-man,  holding  his  sacred 
bag  in  both  hands,  and  bending  very  much 
forward,  trotted  around  the  lodge,  in  a 
space  which  had  been  left  for  that  pur- 
pose, saying,  "  How,  how,  how !  "  and  fol- 
lowed by  the  four  others,  each  shaking  his 
bag  over  the  child,  as  they  passed.  This 


192  WHITE   AND   RED. 

was  to  clear  the  lodge  of  all  evil  manitous, 
which  might  be  waiting  to  take  the  place 
of  the  one  they  intended  to  drive  out 
from  the  child.  Then  returning  to  their 
former  places,  the  head  man  began  a  sort 
of  chant,  growing  louder  and  louder, 
spoken  very  rapidly,  and  in  a  language 
which,  the  Indians  say,  only  the  head  men 
among  them  know,  ending  it  with  the  rat- 
tle of  drums,  and  the  sound  of  "  How,  how, 
how ! "  from  all  the  people ;  after  which 
they  bowed  their  heads,  and  lifted  the  sa- 
cred bags  before  the  medicine-men. 

An  di  so  ge  zhe  coke,  who  till  now  had 
sat  still,  was  lifted  to  her  feet ;  and  a  medi- 
cine-woman coming  forward,  the  child, 
taking  hold  of  her  blanket,  stepped  behind 
her.  A  row  was  formed,  reaching  half  the 
length  of  the  lodge,  and  made  up,  first  of 
the  medicine-men,  and  then  of  all  those 
who  meant  to  become  such,  each  one  hold- 
ing the  blanket  of  the  one  before  him, 
and  all  beginning  to  march  very  slowly 
and  carefully  to  the  sound  of  the  drums. 
Harry  saw  that  the  woman  who  led, 
pushed  away  even  a  splinter,  if  it  lay  in 
the  path ;  and  before  each  step  looked  to 
see  if  the  ground  was  clear  before  her. 
Three  times  they  went  around  in  this  way, 
faster  and  faster,  shaking  the  medicine-bags 


WHITE   AND    KED.  193 

at  the  end  of  each  round,  and  waiting  for 
the  bow  and  answering  "  How,  how,  how  ! " 
of  the  people.  Then  the  drums  beat,  and 
the  rattles  were  shaken  furiously,  and  a 
chant  in  Ojibway  began,  in  which  they 
said  that  the  road  through  life,  and  to  the 
spirit  land,  had  been  made  clear ;  that  the 
tender  feet  could  walk  over  it  in  the  dark- 
ness, finding  nothing  to  hurt  them,  or 
against  which  they  could  stumble ;  and 
that  if  the  Master  of  Life,  Gitchee  Manitou, 
so  willed  it,  His  child  could  easily  come  to 
Him  by  the  narrow  path. 

As  they  sang,  Que  we  zan  schus  still 
moved  up  and  down,  never  raising  his 
head ;  and  when  they  ended,  more  corn 
and  potatoes  were  passed  around,  even  to 
the  Prescotts,  who  ate  with  them,  in 
token  of  good-will.  Crooked  Arm,  as  he 
sat  by  them,  showed  a  little  shell  which 
he  held  in  his  hand ;  and  Harry  saw  that 
those  who  had  marched  around,  all  held 
one.  Soon  Que  we  zan  schus,  turning, 
took  from  the  line  all  the  gifts,  and  laid 
them  in  order  on  the  ground,  the  whole 
company  marching  around  them.  Then 
they  were  lifted,  and  put  about  the  child 
in  a  circle,  and  again  all  marched  around, 
dropping  into  her  lap  the  shell  which  they 
had  put  in  their  mouths,  and  picking  it 

13 


194  WHITE   AND    RED. 

up  at  the  second  round.  This  was  done 
three  times ;  and  then  the  head  medicine- 
man, kneeling  down  by  An  di  so  ge  zhe 
coke,  began  with  her  right  foot,  while  the 
march  went  on,  rubbing  it  furiously,  then 
patting  it  gently,  and  passing  to  the  left 
one,  going  in  this  way  over  the  whole 
body,  ending  with  her  head.  As  he 
touched  her  over  the  crown,  the  spot  at 
which  the  manitou  was  now  passing  out,  a 
howl  went  up  from  the  whole  crowd,  the 
sacred  bags  were  pointed  towards  her, 
and  men  and  women  rising,  danced  up 
and  down,  while  the  rattles  and  drums 
sounded  loud,  then  as  suddenly  all  sank 
down,  and  for  a  moment  there  was  dead 
silence.  Those  who  had  joined  in  the 
sacred  march,  now  stood  up,  and  each  re- 
ceived a  gift  from  Que  we  zan  schus,  the 
most  valuable  ones  being  given  to  the  head 
medicine-man.  Then  came  the  grand  fea- 
ture of  all  medicine  dances :  the  dogs, 
which,  as  a  peculiar  luxury,  are  kept  ibr 
such  occasions,  and  two  of  which  had  been 
made  into  soup  for  to-day.  Neither 
Harry  nor  mamma  cared  to  try  it ;  and 
as  the  principal  ceremony  was  over,  they 
went  home,  astonished  to  find  that  they 
had  been  there  over  three  hours. 

"  You  saw  that  Crooked  Arm  led  to-day 


WHITE   AND    RED.  195 

once  or  twice,  said  papa.  u  He  was  ini- 
tiated last  summer,  and  I  saw  the  whole 
ceremony. " 

"I  wish  you'd  tell  about  that,  and 
your  hunt,  and  everything,"  said  Harry. 
"You've  never  told  us  half  you  did." 

"  After  all  my  letters  home !  " 

"But  that  isn't  like  telling,"  persisted 
Harry.  "  Tell  some  to-night,  and  let's  all 
sit  around  the  fire,  as  we  did  before  the 
kerosene  came,  and  you  begin  at  the 
very  beginning,  and  tell  all  the  nicest 
parts." 

"  Well,"  said  papa ;  and  Harry  that  eve- 
ning had  all  his  own  way.  Sozette  was 
sent  home  early ;  and  drawing  around  the 
hearth  as  night  came  on,  papa  began  the 
story  you  will  find  in  the  next  chapter. 


196  WHITE   AND    RED. 


CHAPTER  IX. 

u  THE  mosquitoes  had  never  been  so 
savage,"  Dr.  Prescott  began,  "  as  this  par- 
ticular day  in  August  They  are  worse 
here  in  summer,  Harry,  than  anything 
you  have  ever  seen,  even  in  the  salt  mead- 
owS ;  but,  that  day,  they  came  in  by  the 
thousand.  Mrs.  Kennedy  kept  a  mosquito 
bar  over  her  head  while  she  worked,  and 
Mr.  Kennedy  came  up  from  the  mill,  say- 
ing he  couldn't  and  wouldn't  run  the  saw 
that  day,  for  he  felt  as  if  every  drop  of 
blood  in  his  body  was  going.  Tired  out 
with  pilling,  I  went  and  sat  on  my  bed 
under  the  bar,  trying  to  write  a  letter,  and 
feeling  so  homesick  that,  if  anybody  had 
asked  me,  I  should  have  been  glad  to 
leave  the  lake  that  moment. 

"  The  Kennedys,  you  know,  lived  in  half 
of  what  is  now  the  blacksmith's  house,  and 
I  had  the  little  room  at  the  back,  so  dark 
one  can  but  just  see  in  the  brightest  day. 
So  I  sat  there  on  the  bed,  watching  one 
big  mosquito,  which  had  managed  to  get 
under  the  bar,  and  was  bent  upon  a  bite, 


WHITE    AND    RED.  197 

when  down  the  hill  came  a  party  of  In- 
dians, two  of  whom  had,  I  knew,  been  off 
on  a  hunt  for  some  days.  I  caught  their 
word  for  buffalo,  as  they  went  round  to 
the  blacksmith's,  and  jumped  up  at  once. 
1  Buffalo,'  I  thought.  'They  have  not 
been  within  two  hundred  miles  of  Red 
Lake  for  seventeen  years,  —  so  they  all 
say,  but  I'll  go  and  ask  what  they  are 
talking  about.'  In  the  mean  time  more 
Indians  had  come  down,  and  as  I  went  out, 
a  group  of  some  twelve  or  fifteen  were  gath- 
ered about  the  forge  door. 

"  *  Yes,  it's  buffalo  for  sure,  this  time/ 
said  old  Hugh.  '  One  o'  these  fellers  has 
brought  in  a  buffalo  tongue,  and  says 
they're  not  three  days  from  here.  Now's 
your  chance,  Doctor.  The  old  chiefs 
band's  a-going,  and  they'll  see  the  Sioux 
don't  get  you.' 

"  Now  here  was  the  greatest  trouble  of 
that  summer :  the  constant  fear  of  the 
Sioux  coming  down  upon  their  deadly 
enemies,  the  Ojibways.  In  winter  there  is 
nothing  to  fear,  for  the  deep  snow  drifts 
over  the  trails,  and  there  are  no  berries  or 
roots  on  which  war  parties  could  feed. 
Then,  too,  the  Indians  go  out  singly,  or  in 
twos  and  threes;  but  in  summer,  each 
chief  goes  off  with  his  band,  leaving  only 


X98  WHITE   AND    RED. 

the  women,  and  children,  and  aged,  at 
home.  Mo  se  mo's  band  left  for  the  Plains 
just  after  I  came  up,  the  last  of  May ;  but 
the  heavy  rains,  in  June,  swelled  all  the 
streams,  and  the  old  paths  were  com- 
pletely flooded.  So  Ma  dwa  ga  non  ind's 
band  stayed  at  home  for  two  reasons :  at 
first,  on  account  of  these  floods  ;  and  then, 
at  last,  to  guard  the  few  white  people  at 
the  lake,  for  whose  lives  they  were  re- 
sponsible. 

"The  last  of  June  a  stray  party  of 
Sioux  came  down,  and  though  not  daring 
to  come  near  the  cluster  of  wigwams  near 
the  lake,  killed  and  scalped  a  family,  who 
lived  alone  in  the  maple  woods.  The 
same  morning  that  their  bodies  were 
found,  an  Indian  brought  in  word  that  a 
large  war  party  were  out,  and  the  old 
chief  told  us  not  to  leave  our  houses  after 
nightfall,  and  to  sleep  with  doors  and  win- 
dows barricaded.  The  Sioux,  you  know, 
hate  the  whites  as  much  as  the  Ojibways, 
and  would  have  liked  our  scalps  quite  as 
well  as  those  of  their  old  enemies. 

"  Old  Hugh  made  iron  bars  for  all  the 
doors  and  windows,  and  for  three  or  four 
weeks  we  were  careful  to  keep  in-doors 
after  sunset.  This  was  growing  unbeara- 
ble, though ;  we  all  wanted  a  change,  and 


WHITE   AND    RED.  199 

I  made  up  my  mind  at  once  to  go  out  on 
this  hunt  for  a  few  days,  if  Mr.  Kennedy 
would  take  his  wife  down  to  Leech  Lake, 
as  he  had  talked  of  doing.  This  we  talked 
over  in  the  afternoon,  and  decided  upon ; 
and  then  I  went  to  work  to  pack  up  odds 
and  ends,  to  leave  in  Hugh's  care,  and  to 
make  ready  a  hunting-suit.  On  the  breast 
of  my  heavy  flannel  shirt,  Mrs.  Kennedy 
sewed  a  stout  canvas  pocket,  or  rather,  a 
piece  of  canvas  with  twenty  little  divis- 
ions, each  one  holding  a  cartridge.  I  had 
my  belt  and  long  knife,  the  rifle  slung 
across  my  shoulder,  and  my  old  rubber 
army  blanket  made  into  a  sort  of  knap- 
sack, and  holding  a  change  of  clothing, 
some  strong  medicines,  and  the  bread  and 
pork  Mrs.  Kennedy  made  ready  for  me ; 
enough  to  last  four  days,  or  till  we  reached 
the  buffalo,  when,  of  course,  there  would 
be  plenty  to  eat.  I  had  no  wired  mos- 
quito-net to  cover  head  and  neck,  so  Mrs. 
Kennedy  made  me  a  sort  of  havelock  of 
canvas,  covering  my  forehead  and  chin, 
and  leaving  out  only  eyes,  nose,  and 
mouth.  My  watch  and  money  I  left  with 
old  Hugh,  for  money  would  be  no  use  on 
the  Plains,  and  I  had  no  good  place  to  put 
the  watch;  and  when  Kay  bay  no  ten 
came  down  next  morning,  I  was  all  ready 
for  the  start. 


200  WHITE  AND    RED. 

" '  For  a  man  that  ain't  naterally  bad- 
lookin'  you're  about  the  humbliest  one  I 
ever  did  see,'  said  Mrs.  Kennedy,  as  she 
bade  me  good-by,  and  I  think  she  must 
have  been  quite  right. 

"The  morning  was  delightful,  fewer 
mosquitoes  than  usual,  and  a  cool  breeze 
blowing  from  the  lake ;  but  when,  in  an 
hour  or  two,  we  got  deeper  into  the  woods, 
we  lost  this,  and  by  noon  the  heat  was 
almost  stifling.  My  rifle  and  knapsack 
seemed  to  weigh  a  hundred  pounds ;  and 
when  the  only  Indian  on  horseback  offered 
to  carry  the  latter  for  me,  I  was  very  glad 
to  let  it  go,  and  saw  him  ride  on  ahead, 
not  thinking  that  that  was  to  be  my  last 
sight  of  him  for  six  weeks." 

"  Then  he  stole  it  ?  "  said  Harry. 

"  No,  he  didn't  steal ;  he  only  went  away 
with  it,  for  the  last  of  September  we  met, 
and  he  gave  back  the  knapsack  in  as  good 
order  as  could  be  expected,  when  meat 
had  been  shut  up  in  it  so  long.  At  noon, 
as  he  was  too  far  in  advance  of  us  to  get 
at,  I  shared  the  old  chiefs  meal  of  dried 
fish ;  and  then  we  pushed  on,  leaving 
woods  behind  us,  and  striking  into  the 
brush.  This  was  hard  walking,  for  no  trail 
was  to  be  seen,  and  I  followed  on  after 
the  Indians,  all  walking  in  file,  as  they 


WHITE   AND    RED.  201 

always  do,  and  seldom  speaking.  The  sun 
set  at  last,  as  we  found  ourselves  near  an- 
other long  line  of  woods,  by  which  we 
were  to  camp,  and  I  looked  around  for 
my  horseman.  No  signs  of  him  any- 
where ;  and  at  last  I  asked  the  old  chief 
where  he  was,  and  if  he  had  taken  a  dif- 
ferent road.  I  knew  very  little  Ojibway 
then,  and  could  but  just  understand,  that 
the  horse  could  not  follow  the  road  we 
had  come  over,  but  had  taken  another ; 
and  that  if  I  went  on  about  two  miles,  I 
might  find  him  in  a  wigwam  just  made  on 
the  edge  of  this  line  of  woods,  by  Wan  e 
ding,  a  young  brave,  who  had  taken  a  wife 
the  week  before,  and  was  living  now  with 
her,  and  his  old  father,  in  this  solitary 
place. 

" '  A  few  pipe-smokes  from  here,  four 
perhaps,'  the  old  chief  said,  for  this  is  their 
way  of  measuring  short  distances,  one  pipe- 
smoke  being  about  ten  minutes'  walk. 
The  trail  was  well  marked,  and  I  went  on 
fast,  reaching  the  wigwam  in  about  an 
hour,  and  stopping  a  moment  to  look  at 
the  picture,  before  I  spoke.  It  stood 
under  a  white  birch,  the  bark  of  which 
had  been  partly  taken  to  cover  the  wig- 
wam. The  sparks  from  the  fire,  kept 
burning  to  drive  off  mosquitoes,  flew  up 


202  WHITE   AND   RED. 

from  the  opening  at  the  top,  and  glanced 
among  the  delicate  green  leaves  of  the 
birch.  By  the  fire,  his  head  drooping  on 
his  breast,  sat  the  old  man,  his  eyes  bent  on 
the  coals.  His  face  was  quiet  and  happy, 
as  if  pleasant  thoughts  were  going  through 
his  mind  ;  and,  as  I  stood  there,  he  raised 
his  head,  and  through  the  opening  in  the 
wigwam,  looked  steadily  off  to  the  west,  as 
if  the  happy  hunting  grounds  lay  before 
him.  Wan  e  ding  and  the  young  wife 
were  on  the  other  side  of  the  fire,  she 
combing  his  long  hair,  and  making  ready 
to  sew  on  one  of  the  braids  the  nine  little 
brass  buttons  I  had  always  seen  him  wear. 
"As  I  moved  forward  a  step,  the  old 
man  sprang  up,  and  came  out,  gun  in  hand, 
recognizing  me  in  a  moment,  and  welcom- 
ing me  heartily.  He  had  seen  nothing  of 
the  Indian  or  pony,  however,  and  I  was 
turning  back  a  little  discouraged,  when  he 
insisted  on  my  going  into  the  wigwam 
and  eating  with  them,  saying  that  I  could 
sleep  there,  and  join  the  other  party  in 
the  morning.  I  was  too  tired  to  say  no, 
and  hungry,  too,  and  the  potatoes  and 
dried  fish  they  gave  me  seemed  one  of  the 
best  meals  I  had  ever  eaten.  Hot  as  the 
day  had  been,  the  night  was  cold,  as  all 
nights  are  in  that  region;  and  notwith- 


WHITE    AND    RED.  203 

standing  the  fire.  I  felt  too  chilly  to  sleep, 
and  long  after  the  others  were  breathing 
quietly  about  me,  lay,  turning  first  one  side 
and  then  another,  to  the  fire,  and  sighing 
for  my  blanket. 

It  must  have  been  nearly  midnight, 
when  I  was  roused  from  a  half  sleep  by 
a  crackling  sound  outside  the  wigwam ; 
and  sitting  up,  listened  a  moment,  lying 
down  again,  as  I  heard  nothing  more, 
and  shutting  my  eyes,  to  open  them  the 
next  moment  on  a  more  horrible  sight 
than  even  the  battle-field  had  ever  given 
me.  Right  through  the  side  of  the  wig- 
wam sprang  a  tall  Indian,  battle-axe  in 
hand ;  and  as  I  sprang  to  my  feet,  struck 
it  deep  into  the  brain  of  the  old  man  ly- 
ing near  me.  Another  moment:  and  as 
I  cried  out, '  Murder ! '  changing  the  half- 
spoken  word  to  <Ne  po! '  the  Ojibway  for 
murder,  Wan  e  ding  sprang  up,  and  with 
his  knife  struck  away  the  tomahawk  just 
descending  on  his  wife's  head ;  not  soon 
enough,  though,  to  prevent  its  giving  her 
a  deep  wound  in  the  shoulder  as  it  glanced 
off.  With  a  yell,  the  Sioux  leaped  away 
into  the  woods,  followed  by  Wan  e  ding, 
who  fired  twice  without  hitting  him,  and 
then  returned,  fearful  that  a  party  of  them 
were  concealed  in  the  woods. 


204  WHITE   AND    RED. 

"  My  little  case  of  surgical  instruments 
was  in  my  pocket,  with  plaster,  and  one  or 
two  bandages,  and  with  these  I  bound  up 
the  cut  shoulder.  The  old  man  was  past 
help  :  he  had  died  almost  instantly ;  and 
throwing  his  blanket  over  the  corpse,  Wan 
e  ding  sat  by  his  side,  and  mourned  till 
the  faint  gray  light  came  up  in  the  east, 
and  I  started  on  to  tell  the  others  of  the 
dreadful  night's  work." 

"  How  could  you  ?  0,  how  could  you? " 
said  Harry.  "  They  might  have  killed 
you  too,  papa." 

"No,  my  boy!  Sioux  are  not  much  to 
be  dreaded  in  the  day-time ;  night  is  their 
time  for  working;  but,  for' all  that,  it  was 
nervous  work,  going  over  that  three  miles. 
The  old  chief  was  the  only  one  awake 
when  I  got  into  camp ;  but  as  soon  as  he 
understood  what  had  happened,  he  sent 
off  three  or  four  to  bring  in  the  body,  and 
then  held  council  as  to  what  should  be 
done.  The  younger  Indians  were  bent 
upon  forming  a  war  party,  and  giving  up 
the  hunt  altogether ;  and  though  the  old 
chief  objected,  it  was  easy  to  see  that  he 
did  it  because  a  white  man  was  in  his 
charge,  and  feared  being  made  accountable 
for  his  death.  Little  more  was  said ;  but 
when,  after  the  morning  meal,  Nah  gou  a 


WHITE   AND   RED.  205 

gah  nabe's  brother,  and  three  others, 
started  off  together,  I  knew  that  it  meant 
a  Sioux  scalp  was  to  be  taken  if  possible. 

"  In  another  hour  the  first  party  re- 
turned, bringing  with  them  on  poles  the 
body  of  the  murdered  man,  but  so  covered 
with  green  leaves  and  branches,  that  there 
was  no  thought  of  death  in  the  burden. 
Then  Ma  dwa  ga  non  ind  selected  five, 
who  were  to  return  to  Red  Lake,  and  see 
that  the  body  was  buried  with  honor.  As 
he  talked  with  them,  he  laid  his  own  blan- 
ket over  the  leafy  bier,  and  the  Indians 
stood  about  with  bowed  heads,  as  a  last 
mark  of  respect.  Then  the  five  turned 
into  our  yesterday's  trail,  and  we  pushed 
on  to  the  northwest. 

"  By  the  end  of  the  second  day's  tramp 
through  swamp  and  brush,  the  dried  fish 
had  given  out,  and  that  night  we  went  to 
bed  supperless,  the  Indians  feeling  sure, 
however,  that  some  game  would  be  killed 
for  breakfast.  They  were  mistaken.  Not 
even  a  duck  showed  itself;  and  we  pushed 
on  the  third  day  in  the  pouring  rain,  hun- 
gry enough  to  have  eaten  anything  in  the 
shape  of  food.  To-day  we  crossed  several 
rivers,  and  it  seemed  odd  enough  to  see 
the  Indians,  as  we  came  to  them,  walk 
right  on,  as  if  dry  land  lay  before  them, 


206  WHITE   AND    RED. 

swimming  when  the  water  rose  above 
their  necks,  and  walking  out  and  on  with 
streaming  clothes,  which  they  did  not  seem 
to  mind  one  bit.  They  laughed  at  me  for 
stopping  to  undress,  and  before  the  end  of 
the  tramp  I  learned  to  go  through  just  as 
they  did. 

"  No  signs  of  buffalo  yet,  though  this 
was  the  day  we  had  expected  to  see  them, 
and  we  lay  down  at  night  hungrier  than 
ever,  and  I  thinking  it  would  be  impossible 
to  walk  another  day  without  a  meal.  In 
the  morning  we  shot  two  ducks  and  a 
small  bird,  and  these  were  divided  among 
the  nine  who  made  up  our  party:  not 
much  for  each  one,  you  can  see,  but  it 
gave  a  little  strength  to  go  on,  and  that 
was  surely  needed  for  this  day's  work. 

tt  You  remember,  Harry,  coming  up  to 
Leech  Lake,  the  openings  in  the  woods 
made  by  tornadoes,  and  how  wild  the 
great  roots  of  the  fallen  trees  looked  to 
you.  Now,  imagine  that  your  road  for 
half  a  day,  or  more,  lay  through  just  such 
places,  and  that  you  were  either  climbing 
through  and  over  these  immense  roots,  or 
wading  in  water  always  up  to  your  knees, 
and  often  to  your  waist.  It  was  the  hard- 
est day's  work  I  have  ever  done.  Even 
the  Indians  panted,  and  said,  "  Ti  yah ! " 


WHITE   AND    RED.  207 

and  when,  late  in  the  afternoon,  we  left 
this  behind  us,  and  came  out  near  a  river, 
I  had  barely  strength  to  get  through  it, 
and  refused  to  go  on  further  that  night. 
Something  to  eat  must  be  had,  and  we 
scoured  the  banks  of  the  river  for  an  hour. 
There  were  no  fish  in  it,  and  no  ducks  on 
it ;  and  when,  about  eight  o'clock,  Kay  bay 
no  ten  came  in  with  two  little  skunks,  I 
was  ready  to  eat  every  bit  of  both." 

"  Papa,  you  never  did ! "  Harry  said. 
"You  couldn't.  I  never  knew  that  any- 
body would." 

"  I  did*  and  could,  sir ;  and,  as  I  said, 
wanted  them  both.  The  meat  is  tender, 
and  tastes  very  much  like  rabbit ;  and 
though,  at  most  times,  one  could  hardly 
be  tempted  to  try  it,  I  even  chewed  the 
bone,  to  get  every  possible  bit  of  food,  in 
the  mean  time  drying  my  dripping  clothes 
by  the  fire.  My  feet  were  swollen  and 
blistered  by  my  heavy  boots,  and  the  old 
chief,  seeing  how  they  looked,  gave  me  a 
pair  of  his  own  moccasins,  saying  that 
white  men's  moccasins  were  good  for  noth- 
ing, and  I  had  better  throw  them  away.  I 
didn't  follow  his  advice,  however,  but  kept 
them  for  a  change,  when  the  thin  skin  of 
my  new  ones  should  be  worn  out. 

"  Only  one  day  now  lay  between  us  and 


208 


WHITE   AND    RED. 


the  Plains,  where  game  of  some  sort  was 
always  to  be  found ;  and  so,  though  we 
must  go  on  without  breakfast  next  morn- 
ing, we  started  on  early  in  better  spir- 
its than  before.  Toward  noon  we  came 
once  more  to  another  forest  upside-down, 
through  which  we  must  crawl ;  and  here, 
for  the  first  time,  I  lagged  behind.  Faint 
and  dizzy  from  want  of  food,  I  stumbled 
often,  and  at  last  it  seemed  as  if  a  separate 
effort  were  required  for  each  step,  and  the 
blood  must  be  pumped  down  into  my  feet, 
before  life  enough  could  be  gained  to  carry 
them  forward.  So  far  I  have  said  nothing 
of  the  mosquitoes,  swarming  all  the  time  ; 
but  in  this  half  wood,  half  swamp,  so  thick, 
that  you,  who  have  never  seen  Minnesota 
mosquitoes,  would  hardly  believe  what  I 
could  tell  you  of  them :  they  were  a  cloud 
about  us.  My  face  was  swollen  and  bleed- 
ing from  the  continual  stings,  and  my 
whole  body  seemed  so  on  fire,  that  it  was 
a  relief  sometimes  to  put  my  head  under 
water,  and  escape  them  for  a  moment. 
Half  wild  with  the  pain,  I  covered  face 
and  hands,  at  last,  with  clay,  as  the  Indians 
had  done,  this  serving  the  double  purpose 
of  soothing  the  smart,  and  keeping  off 
fresh  blood-suckers. 

"  At  last  this  dreadful  labor  ended.    We 


WHITE   AND    RED.  209 

climbed  the  last  root,  and  came  out  on  the 
open  plains  of  Pembina,  separated  from  us 
only  by  a  river.  By  the  shore  of  this  I  sat 
down,  too  exhausted  to  go  another  step. 
The  trail  now  was  well  marked,  and  as  I 
knew  the  Indians  would  camp  near  a  wood 
I  saw  some  miles  distant,  I  told  them  to 
go  on,  and  let  me  follow  by  and  by. 
They  objected  a  little,  but  soon  went  on  ; 
and  I  sat  under  a  tree,  eating  a  root  of  the 
wild  potato  the  old  chief  had  given  me, 
thinking  that  to-night,  at  last,  we  should 
have  plenty  to  eat,  for  there  were  traces 
of  deer  all  about ;  and  while  I  sat  there, 
I  heard  the  crack  of  a  rifle,  and  knew  we 
were  certain  of  something  for  supper. 

"  As  I  sat  still,  holding  my  aching  feet 
in  the  water,  a  rabbit  ran  down  towards 
the  shore.  I  fired  and  hit  it,  and  was  just 
getting  up  to  kill  at  once  the  poor  little 
thing,  which  lay  there  struggling,  when  I 
heard  a  soft  step  behind  me.  Supposing 
it  one  of  our  own  Indians,  I  hardly  turned 
as  I  pointed  to  the  rabbit,  but  a  moment's 
glance  showed  me  he  was  an  entire  stran- 
ger. He  was  shorter  than  most  of  these 
Red  Lake  Indians,  but  I  had  not  seen 
Sioux  enough  then  to  know  the  difference 
between  them  and  Ojibways.  As  I  turned, 
he  made  a  spring  and  lunge  at  me  with 
u 


210  WHITE   AND    RED. 

his  knife,  which  I  threw  up  with  my  gun, 
and  fired  at  once  at  him,  shouting  at  the 
same  time,  loud  as  I  could  yell,  to  our  In- 
dians, who  were  now  out  of  sight.  I  had 
not  hit  him ;  but  as  he  leaped  away  into 
the  wood,  from  which  it  seemed  to  me  I 
heard  voices,  I  fired  again,  and  wounded 
him  in  the  arm,  which  dropped  by  his 
side.  Evidently  thinking  that  a  party 
were  with  me,  he  ran  on ;  and  now  I  saw, 
from  the  fringed  skin  leggins  he  wore, 
that  he  was  a  Sioux. 

"  For  a  minute  my  courage  was  almost 
gone.  Then  I  walked  into  the  river,  and 
down  its  bed,  fast  as  I  could,  to  the  roots 
of  a  great  tree  growing  there,  and  almost 
gone  to  decay.  The  trunk  was  hollow 
for  a  little  way  up,  though  this  you  could 
not  know  till  right  under  the  roots,  which 
were  partly  covered  with  water.  In  the 
shelter  of  these  I  crouched,  my  back 
against  the  back  of  the  hollow  trunjj:,  and 
only  my  nose  and  eyes  above  water.  My 
gun  I  loaded  first,  —  it  carried  seven  balls, 
you  know,  —  and  I  had  determined,  if  at- 
tacked, to  sell  my  life  dearly.  Then  I 
pushed  it  up  into  the  hollow  of  the  tree, 
that  it  might  be  kept  dry ;  plastered  my 
face  anew  with  the  river  clay,  and  crouch- 
ing, as  I  have  said,  under  the  roots,  waited 
and  watched. 


WHITE   AND   RED.  211 

"  I  had  barely  settled  myself  here,  when, 
from  the  wood  we  had  left  a  little  while 
before,  crept  out  cautiously  five  Indians, 
one  tall  one  seeming  to  me  the  murderer 
of  the  old  man.  From  the  way  they 
pointed  to  the  northwest,  I  knew  they  saw 
one  of  our  Indians,  and  a  moment  after,  as 
I  heard  again  the  crack  of  a  rifle,  they  re- 
treated into  the  wood. 

"  It  seemed  an  hour  before  they  once 
more  came  out,  this  time  walking  boldly 
down  to  the  river,  and  across  to  the  trail, 
plainly  marked  as  I  have  told  you.  I  saw 
them  examine  it,  and  then  cross  again  to 
the  place  where  I  had  been  sitting,  and 
where  I  had  dropped  my  handkerchief. 
This  they  picked  up,  and  there,  was  a 
noisy  talk  over  it;  then  they  separated, 
two  going  down  one  side  of  the  river,  and 
two  the  other,  while  the  wounded  man 
sat  under  the  same  tree  where  I  had 
rested.  Twice  they  climbed  over  the 
.very  tree  under  which  I  lay  hidden.  I 
felt  no  fear  ;  only  an  intense  watchfulness, 
as  I  kept  one  hand  on  my  rifle,  and  waited, 
expecting  each  moment  to  be  discovered. 
Flashes  of  light  seemed  to  pass  before  my 
eyes,  and  I  felt  that  I  should  never  die 
in  their  hands.  1  stooped  there,  hardly 
breathing,  hours  it  seemed,  till  the  Indians 


212  WHITE   AND   RED. 

had  gone  over  every  inch  of  the  shore. 
The  only  sign  of  trail,  I  knew,  was  that  by 
which  we  had  come ;  and  that  they  dared 
not  follow  on,  lest  they  should  meet  our 
party.  For  a  few  moments  they  talked 
together  as  they  joined  the  wounded  man, 
and  looked  again  up  and  down  the  river. 
Then,  shouldering  their  guns,  they  went 
swiftly  down  the  shore,  following  its  course 
far  as  I  could  see.  I  knew  they  were  not 
likely  to  return,  and  though  I  still  kept  my 
place,  thanked  God  that  they  had  gone 
on,  and  that,  thus  far,  He  had  given  me 
my  life.  Don't  cry  Harry,  boy,  we  are 
all  safe  here  together." 

"  I  know  it,  papa,"  said  Harry,  whose 
head  lay  in  mamma's  lap ;  "  but  how  can  I 
help  crying  a  little,  just  thinking  what  a 
dreadful  time  you  had.  What  if  they  had 
found  you  ? " 

Mamma  shivered. 

«  There,  there,"  said  Dr.  Prescott.     « T 
must  stop,  if  you  feel  so.     This  is  the  last, 
of  the  bad  troubles.     There  was  no  more 
dreadful  danger,  only  little,  small  dangers, 
out  of  which  we  came  well  enough." 

"  You  didn't  come  out  from  under  the 
tree  right  away,  did  you  ?  "  Harry  asked. 

"  No,  my  boy.  I  didn't  know  but  that 
more  Sioux  might  be  in  the  wood,  and  so 


WHITE   AND   RED.  213 

I  kept  my  place,  till,  from  weariness,  and 
hunger,  and  excitement,  I  felt  myself 
growing  faint.  It  was  late  twilight  then. 
I  could  see  or  hear  nothing  of  the  Sioux, 
and  after  raising  my  head  very  carefully 
higher  and  higher,  ready,  at  a  sound,  to 
draw  back,  I  rose  up  gradually,  so  numb 
and  stiff  I  could  hardly  stir,  and  waded 
down  stream  to  the  trail  I  had  a  little 
flask  of  brandy  in  one  pocket,  which  I  had 
been  saving  for  great  need,  and  now,  if 
ever,  seemed  the  time  to  use  it.  I  drank 
half,  and  then  pushed  on,  just  dragging 
one  foot  after  another.  There  was  more 
water,  and  swamp,  and  roots,  but  I  went 
through  it  with  good  courage,  for  friends 
and  plenty  to  eat  were  getting  nearer  and 
nearer,  and  about  midnight  I  got  into 
camp,  and  fell  by  the  fire,  so  used  up,  I 
did  not  even  want  to  eat.  There  were 
plenty  of  rabbits  now,  and  they  had  some 
already  roasted,  and  waiting  for  me.  Old 
Que  we  zan  schus  had  spread  branches  for 
my  bed,  and  Kay  bay  no  ten  stretched  my 
soaked  moccasins,  and  dried  them  before 
the  fire.  He  had  seen  the  five  Indians, 
and  known  they  were  Sioux ;  but  being 
alone,  kept  at  a  safe  distance,  thinking  all 
the  time  I  was  with  the  others.  He  dried 
my  clothes  while  I  bathed  in  the  little 


214  WHITE   AND    RED. 

lake  close  by,  having  first  made  a f  smudge,' 
to  keep  off  mosquitoes,  and  then  I  lay 
down  on  my  branch-bed,  and  slept  as  you 
did,  Harry,  your  first  night  at  Red  Lake, 
sounder  if  anything. 

"  Next  day  we  saw  one  solitary  buffalo 
far  off  on  the  plain,  but  nobody  caught  up 
with,  him ;  and  that  afternoon  the  Indians, 
who  had  gone  back  to  bury  the  old  man, 
came  up  to  us,  and  said  a  large  party  of 
Sioux  were  between  us  and  Red  Lake,  and 
that  we  were  not  strong  enough  in  num- 
bers to  give  them  battle.  There  was  then 
nothing  to  do  but  to  go  on,  and  return  to 
Red  Lake  in  some  other  way.  So  on  we 
went  toward  Wild  Rice  River,  and  the 
seventh  day  out  I  shot  my  first  elk ;  the 
first  one,  too,  killed  by  our  party.  You 
saw  the  great  horns  at  the  Agency,  Harry, 
and  can  think  how  the  elk  looked  to  me, 
as  I  lay  behind  a  bush,  and  took  aim.  I 
had  crept  up  through  the  long  grass, — 
stalking,  it  is  called,  —  very  slowly  and 
carefully,  keeping  my  eye  all  the  time 
on  this  elk,  one  of  half  a  dozen  feeding 
together ;  and  when,  as  the  smoke  from 
my  rifle  cleared  away,  1  saw  him  stagger 
and  fall,  it  seemed  almost  a  wicked  thing 
to  have  killed  the  beautiful  creature. 
After  that,  though,  I  had  the  true  '  hun- 


WHITE   AND    RED.  215 

ter's  fever,'  and  brought  down  my  deer 
whenever  I  could.  Those  horns  were  my 
greatest  difficulty,  for  I  carried  them  all 
the  way,  determined  to  get  them  home 
some  day ;  and  they  went  up  to  George- 
town on  the  Red  River,  and  then  down 
toward  Fort  Abercrombie.  I  did  not  see 
the  face  of  a  white  man  for  six  weeks  after 
we  left  Georgetown." 

<_/ 

"  Did  you  hunt  all  the  time,  papa  ? " 
Harry  asked. 

"  Yes,  hunted  and  ate.  I  never  knew 
before,  what  could  be  done  in  that  way. 
An  elk  would  be  brought  in  and  skinned. 
Kay  bay  no  ten's  wife,  the  only  squaw  in 
the  party,  generally  did  this,  and  cut  up 
the  animal.  Each  one  took  what  he  liked, 
roasted  it  on  a  stick,  and  when  the  outside 
had  cooked  a  little,  eat  that  off,  and  then 
roasted  the  rest,  smoking  between  times. 
We  took  from  ten  to  fifteen  .meals  a  day 
in  this  way,  drying  what  was  not  eaten, 
and  packing  it  to  take  home.  They  cut 
the  meat  in  strips,  and  hung  it  on  poles, 
where  it  soon  dried.  Meat  never  decays 
in  this  clear  northern  air,  but  dries  up." 

"  Didn't  you  get  sick,  papa  ?  " 

"  Not  a  bit  of  it.  In  fact,  I  was  never 
better  in  my  life,  and  grew  as  brown  as  I 
did  fat.  so  that  when  we  came  in  sight  of 


216  WHITE   AND    RED. 

Fort  Abercrombie  in  September,  nobody 
could  have  told  me  from  a  real  Indian, 
except  by  my  beard.  There  were  wander- 
ing parties  of  Sioux  all  about,  and  when 
we  came  up  to  the  fort,  the  sentinel  at 
first  ordered  us  off;  and  then,  when  he 
heard  me  speak  English,  said,  'No  half- 
bloods  could  come  in,  for  they  were  just 
as  bad  as  Indians.' 

"  I  wrote  my  name  on  a  leaf  of  my  note- 
book, and  got  him  to  take  it  in,  and  very 
soon  found  myself  face  to  face  with  the 
old  General.  I  had  been  through  a  region 
where  no  white  man  had  gone  before,  or, 
at  any  rate,  no  white  man  had  ever  come 
back  to  give  report  of  that  wild  country, 
and  they  all  wondered  to  see  me  alive.  I 
had  no  clothes,  you  know ;  but  one  lent 
me  a  hat,  and  another  a  coat,  and  so  on ; 
and  after  a  day  or  two  of  resting.  I  started 
on  to  St.  Cloud,  and  then  up  to  the  Agen- 
cy. At  the  fort  I  bought  crackers  and 
pork  for  the  Indians  who  had  been  so  kind 
to  me,  and  who  returned  home  by  way  of 
White  Earth  Lake,  killing  just  one  buffalo." 

"  There's  more,"  said  Harry,  as  his 
father  stopped.  "  About  the  quaking-bog, 
and  Kay  bay  no  ten's  pony  running  right 
into  the  wigwam,  and  knocking  Mrs.  Kay 
bay  no  ten  into  the  ashes ;  and  about  that 


WHITE   AND  RED.  217 

pretty  Indian  girl  at  Georgetown  that 
offered  to  marry  you,  and  make  all  your 
skins  into  moccasins ;  and  0,  papa,  about 
that  Indian  that  put  a  deer's  skin  and 
horns  on  to  himself,  and  went  right  into  a 
whole  herd." 

"  You  know  all  I  have  to  tell,  it  seems," 
said  papa  ;  "  so,  Harry,  I  think  this  will  do 
for  to-night." 


218  WHITE   AND   RED. 


CHAPTER    X. 

"TELL  me  a  story  this  evening,  papa," 
said  Harry  ;  and  Dr.  Prescott,  who  had  laid 
down  the  book  he  had  been  reading,  some 
moments  before,  said,  "  What  about  ? " 

"  0,  an  Indian  story ;  one  of  those  Aiken 
told  you  the  other  day,  and  that  I  don't 
know." 

"  Well,"  said  Dr.  Prescott,  after  thinking 
a  minute,  "  here  is  a  little  one." 

"Then  if  it's  little  I  shall  want  two," 
interrupted  Harry.  "  Will  you  tell  two  ?  " 

"  Perhaps,"  said  papa,  and  began. 

"  Long,  long  ago  when  the  animals  ruled 
the  earth,  they  had  eaten  up  almost  every- 
body but  a  little  boy  and  girl,  who  lived 
in  the  depths  of  a  thick  wood,  so  tangled 
and  twisted,  that  the  big  animals  were 
caught  if  they  tried  to  get  in,  and  the  lit- 
tle ones  stayed  away,  because  they  were 
afraid  they  might  be. 

"  The  boy  truly  was  little ;  so  little,  that 
his  sister  hardly  ever  dared  leave  him 
alone,  lest  some  big  bird  should  swoop 
down  and  carry  him  off.  So  they  stayed 


WHITE   AND    RED.  219 

in  the  wigwam  together,  till,  by  and  by, 
the  animals  growing  tired  of  that  part  of 
the  world,  went  away  altogether,  to  see  if 
there  were  not  a  better  place,  and  more 
people  to  eat.  Then  the  sister  determined 
to  go  out,  and  look  for  wood,  day  after  day, 
till  she  had  brought  home  great  piles  of  it 
for  the  winter  fire.  She  made  for  the  lit- 
tle boy  a  bow  and  some  arrows ;  showed 
him  how  to  use  them,  and  then  said, — 

" '  Sit  in  the  door  of  the  wigwam,  and 
when  the  snow-birds  come  to  pick  worms 
from  the  logs,  shoot  one.' 

"  All  day  the  little  boy  sat  there,  shoot- 
ing away  every  arrow,  but  never  hitting 
one  bird ;  and  at  night,  when  the  sister 
came  home,  she  found  him  very  angry  at 
his  bad  luck.  She  picked  up  the  arrows 
and  said,  — 

" '  Never  mind.  To-morrow  you  can 
go  outside  the  lodge,  since  I  see  nothing 
which  can  hurt  you.' 

"  So  the  next  day,  when  the  sister  had 
gone  for  wood,  the  little  boy  hid  behind  a 
brier-bush,  and  soon  shot  a  snow-bird, 
which  he  showed  to  his  sister  at  night. 

" '  Skin  it,'  he  said,  '  and  stretch  the 
skin.' 

"  So  the  sister  skinned  it,  and  bending  a 
twig  into  a  circle,  fastened  the  little  skin 


220  WHITE   AND    RED. 

upon  it,  and  hung  it  up  to  dry.  Then  they 
boiled  the  body  and  ate  it,  and  this  was 
the  first  meat  ever  cooked  and  eaten  in 
the  world.  The  next  day  the  little  boy 
shot  another,  and  so  on  for  ten  days,  when 
there  were  ten  little  skins  hanging  in  the 
wigwam. 

"  '  Now  sew  them  together,  and  make  me 
a  little  coat,'  said  he. 

"  The  sister  sewed  them,  and  soon  the  lit- 
tle boy  had  a  beautiful  coat,  which  he  wore 
everywhere.  One  skin  was  left  though,  for 
nine  made  a  very  large  coat. 

"  As  he  grew  bolder,  he  went  farther  and 
farther  from  home,  and  one  day  found  a 
pretty  knoll  where  the  snow  had  melted, 
and  being  tired,  lay  down  and  slept. 
While  he  slept  the  Sun.  who  is  always  very 
inquisitive,  came  so  close  to  look  at  him, 
that  the  bird-skin  coat  was  singed  and 
shriveled  up,  till  good  for  nothing.  The 
little  boy  stamped  and  raged,  when  he 
woke  up  and  found  the  coat  pinching  him 
tight. 

" (  0  you  Sun !  you  are  Ke-ko-pat-tis ; 
you  are  a  fool!''  he  cried.  'I  will  teach 
you  to  let  me  alone.' 

(i  Then  he  ran  home  very  angry,  and  told 
his  sister,  who  came  bending  under  a  great 
load  of  wood. 


WHITE   AND    RED.  221 

"'Give  me  a  noose/  he  said,  'I  must 
catch  that  impudent  Sun/  and  he  showed 
her  the  coat,  and  stamped  again  as  he  told 
the  story.  The  sister  looked  through  the 
wigwam,  and  brought  him  at  last  a  piece 
of  thread-like  root,  such  as  canoes  are 
sewed  with. 

"  *  Kah,  kah  ;  no,  no/  he  said ;  '  I  will 
not  have  that.' 

"  Then  the  sister  went  back,  and  cut  the 
tenth  bird  skin  into  strips,  and  twisted  a 
snare. 

" '  Kah,  kah/  he  said  again ;  ( I  will  not 
have  that.' 

"  Angry  herself  a  little,  at  having  so 
much  trouble  for  nothing,  the  sister  went 
outside  the  wigwam,  and  soon  had  a 
thought.  She  pulled  out  some  of  her  own 
long  hair,  and  braided  it  into  a  long  cord, 
which  she  took  in  to  the  brother,  who 
pulled  it  fast  through  his  hands,  to  try  the 
strength,  and  then  coiled  it  around  his  neck. 

" '  Now  I  must  fast/  he  said, '  for  this  is 
what  I  wanted/  and  he  laid  down  on  his 
right  side,  and  never  stirred  for  ten  days. 

uThe  tenth  day  he  turned  over  to  his  left 
side,  and  there  he  laid  ten  days  longer. 
On  the  twentieth  day,  long  before  the  first 
signs  of  daylight  were  seen  in  the  sky, 
he  stood  up  and  said, — 


222  WHITE   AND   RED. 

" '  Now  I  am  going  to  snare  the  Sun/  and 
went  out. 

"  Soon  he  came  to  the  knoll,  where  the 
Sun  had  first  singed  him,  and,  setting  his 
snare  here,  sure  enough,  at  sunrise,  the 
Sun,  which  always  touched  this  spot  first 
on  his  way  up,  was  caught  and  held  tight. 
Now  there  were  times,  for  the  animals  had 
started  back  to  their  old  home,  and  won- 
dered why  there  was  no  light.  At  last 
the  Weasel,  the  sharpest  of  all,  discovered 
the  noose,  and  going  back,  told  what  he 
had  seen.  In  the  meantime,  the  Sun  pulled 
at  the  noose,  but  could  not  escape.  The 
animals  talked  together,  and  by  and  by 
the  Dormouse,  who  at  that  time  was  much 
bigger  than  a  mountain,  said  that  this 
noose  must  be  gnawed  apart,  and  who 
would  do  it  ?  Not  one  was  brave  enough, 
and  the  little  boy  laughed  to  himself 
where  he  lay  hidden.  But  soon  he  laughed 
no  longer,  for  the  Dormouse,  being  angry 
at  the  others,  who  were  afraid,  went  nearer 
and  nearer  himself,  and  at  last  began  to 
gnaw.  As  he  gnawed,  the  Sun  pulled,  and 
so  helped  him,  but  the  heat,  strong  as 
many  fires  in  one,  burned  his  back,  and 
burned  and  burned  it,  till  it  shrunk  away 
and  fell  in  ashes,  and  when  the  Sun  at  last 
was  free,  and  rose  with  a  bound  to  his 


WHITE   AND   RED.  223 

place,  the  Dormouse  was  no  longer  than 
your  finger,  and  to  this  day  is  the  tiniest 
animal  in  the  world. 

"  The  little  boy  said,  — 

" '  If  my  sister's  shining  black  hair  cannot 
hold  the  Sun,  nothing  can ; '  and  he  went 
home  to  shoot  snow-birds,  for  this  business 
he  knew  all  about.  Soon  he  had  ten  more 
skins,  and  the  sister  made  him  a  new 
coat ;  this  time  he  kept  away  from  the  Sun, 
so  that  to  this  day  'tis  unharmed,  and  he 
still  wears  it." 

"  That  is  a  nice  story,"  said  Harry,  who 
had  listened,  hardly  stirring.  "  Now  can't 
you  tell  just  one  more?" 

"  I  will  tell  one  for  you  and  mamma 
both,"  Dr.  Prescott  answered.  "  Do  you 
remember,  Mary,  the  lonely  grave  we  saw 
near  Gibe  way  shis,  yesterday.  There  is  a 
story  connected  with  that,  which  I  heard 
from  Mrs.  Ayre,  last  fall,  and  have  always 
meant  to  tell  you.  You  have  not  seen  the 
site  of  the  old  mission  yet,  but  the  snow  is 
going  so  fast  that  you  soon  can.  'Tis  on 
the  other  side  of  the  little  river  we  cross 
going  down  to  Little  Rock,  and  very  near 
the  lake.  There  is  where  they  built  their 
log  houses  twenty  years  ago." 

«  Where  are  they  now  ?  "  Harry  asked. 

«  Burned  down,  after  they  left,  by  some 


224  WHITE   AND    RED. 

bad  young  Indians,"  said  Dr.  Prescott, 
"but  till  then  there  was  quite  a  settle- 
ment; three  families  of  missionaries,  who 
came  here  by  way  of  Lake  Superior ;  a 
long,  weary  journey  indeed,  and  a  lonely 
ending  at  Red  Lake. 

"  They  built  houses  at  once,  however,  and 
before  a  year  had  passed,  were  comfortably 
settled  and  working  in  all  ways  hard  as 
they  could.  The  Indians,  at  first  a  little 
doubtful  as  to  what  was  to  be  done,  con- 
sented finally  that  their  children  should  be 
taught  to  read  and  write  and  even  to  work 
a  little,  laying  out  their  gardens,  hoeing 
and  digging,  and  the  missionaries  hoped 
strongly  that  in  time  the  whole  land  might 
be  civilized.  Habit  and  tradition  were  too 
strong  for  them  however.  Work  of  any 
sort,  save  that  involved  in  hunting,  de- 
grades a  warrior,  and  the  few  who  took 
tools  provided,  and  imitated  the  white 
man's  ways,  were  considered  as  not  worthy 
the  name  of  Indian.  Still  the  children 
were  allowed  to  learn,  as  a  favor  to  the 
missionaries,  whose  hearts  often  grew 
heavy,  thinking  how  little  could  be  done. 

"  Years  went  on,  and  the  children  whom 
they  had  taught  grew  up  into  young  men 
and  women.  Among  them  was  one  who 
had  dropped  her  Indian  name  and  been 


WHITE   AND   RED.  225 

baptized  as  Hannah,  and  who  had  never 
returned  to  her  wigwam  life,  but  lived  on 
with  one  of  the  missionaries,  whom  she 
loved  and  trusted  entirely.  Her  mother 
had  died  years  before,  and  her  brothers 
were  warriors,  who  were  always  on  the 
war  path,  or  hunting.  Her  father,  too,  was 
a  famous  warrior,  and  it  went  to  his  heart 
that  a  daughter  of  his  should  leave  the 
faith  of  her  own  people.  He  was  one  of 
the  very  few  who  hated  the  missionaries, 
and  believed  they  were  doing  harm  contin- 
ually, but  Hannah,  though  she  loved  him, 
could  never  be  influenced  against  them. 
She  talked  often  of  how  beautiful  the  life 
must  be  where  all  were  Christians,  and 
begged  the  missionaries  to  take  her  with 
them  if  they  went  away ;  but  until  she  was 
nearly  twenty,  there  was  no  change,  and 
the  little  band  worked  on,  expecting  to 
live  and  die  there. 

"  At  last  one  of  their  number,  who  had 
been  in  failing  health  a  long  time,  deter- 
mined to  go  for  a  little  while  to  his  old 
home  in  Oberlin,  Ohio  ;  and  now  Hannah 
urged  that  she  should  be  taken  too,  so 
strongly,  that  at  last  they  promised  to  let 
her  go,  if  her  father  would  say  she  might. 
The  old  man  refused  at  once,  but  after 
long  and  persistent  urging,  relented  so  far 

15 


226  WHITE   AND    RED. 

as  to  say  she  might  go,  but  that  if  any- 
thing happened  to  her  while  absent,  the 
missionaries  should  be  held  responsible. 
'Tis  a  law  among  the  Indians,  that  if  a 
member  of  a  family  be  killed,  whether  by 
accident  or  design,  that  the  nearest  rela- 
tive must  avenge  the  death ;  and  the  mis- 
sionaries knew,  that  should  Hannah  die, 
among  strangers,  the  tribe  would  justify 
her  father  in  killing  those  whom  they 
would  say  had  persuaded  her  to  leave  them. 
She  was  urged  not  to  go,  but  nothing 
could  induce  her  to  remain  at  Red  Lake, 
and  though  Mr.  Brent  started  without  her, 
at  Cass  Lake  she  appeared,  and  went  on, 
so  happy  in  the  prospect  of  seeing  "  all 
Christians,"  that  no  one  urged  her  return. 
"  Months  went  by,  and  letters  came  now 
and  then  from  Hannah  as  well  as  Mr. 
Brent,  telling  of  her  delight  in  being  where 
people  thought  of  the  "  Great  Spirit  "  all 
the  time,  and  of  her  perfect  happiness  in 
going  to  church  and  Sunday-school.  Then 
there  was  a  long  silence,  and  the  father, 
who  came  to  question  them  about  his 
daughter  whenever  letters  were  brought 
in,  scowled  darkly  as  he  met  them,  and 
they  grew  more  and  more  anxious  to  hear. 
At  last  came  a  letter  from  Mr.  Brent. 
You  can  think  how  eagerly  it  was  opened, 


WHITE   AND    RED.  227 

and  how  the  faces  paled  as  they  read  that 
Hannah  had  suddenly  been  taken  ill,  and 
died  within  a  few  days. 

"'When  she  knew  she  must  die/  he 
wrote,  '  I  said  to  her :  "  It  is  well  with 
you,  Hannah,  but  0 !  what  shall  be  done 
about  the  teachers  there  ?  Your  father  will 
surely  kill  them.  Why  did  you  ever  leave 
him  ?  "  She  lay  quiet  a  few  minutes  and 
then  said:  "I  do  not  think  I  was  wrong; 
nothing  speaks  to  my  heart  to  tell  me  that  I 
was.  I  shall  say  much  to  the  Spirit  about; 
it,"  and  indeed  she  did  say  much,  for  till 
within  an  hour  of  her  death,  she  hardly 
ceased  to  pray  that  her  father's  heart 
might  be  turned  away  from  any  thought 
of  revenge.  At  the  last  she  took  my  hand, 
smiling,  and  said,  "  Do  not  be  afraid  for  the 
teachers  ;  they  will  not  die ;  Jesus  has  told 
me  so.  Write  to  them  not  to  be  afraid.' " 

"  The  missionaries  talked  long  together 
before  they  could  decide  what  to  do.  At 
last  they  determined  to  speak  of  her  death 
to  those  who  had  known  her,  and  when 
her  father  returned  from  the  hunt,  to  send 
for  him  and  read  the  letters,  in  which  were 
messages  for  him  and  her  brothers.  A 
month  went  by  before  he  returned,  but 
some  one,  met  on  the  trail,  had  told  him, 
and  he  came  in  raging,  vowing  that  one  at 


228  WHITE    AND    RED. 

least  should  die.  He  painted  himself  for 
the  war-path  ;  put  on  all  his  scalp-feathers, 
and  with  tomahawk  and  scalping-knife, 
went  to  the  mission.  The  missionaries 
had  gone  that  day  to  cut  logs  for  the  mill, 
and  only  the  women  and  children  were  at 
home. 

" (  When  we  saw  him,'  said  Mrs.  Ay  re, 
who  told  me  the  story,  '  we  looked  for 
nothing  but  death,  and  yet,  strange  as  it 
may  seem,  I  never  felt  calmer.  I  went  on 
with  my  sewing  for  a  moment,  and  then, 
looking  quietly  at  him,  said,  "  What  do  you 
want,  Kay  bay  gwa  ? " 

" ' "  My  daughter.     Where  is  she  ?  " 

" ( "  The  Great  Spirit  has  taken  her.  She 
has  gone  home.  Do  you  want  me  to  read 
you  all  that  we  know  about  her  ?  " 

u '  I  took  the  letter  from  the  table  and 
read  it  to  him,  without  waiting  for  an  an- 
swer. The  veins  in  his  forehead  swelled, 
and  his  eyes  glared,  they  told  me,  but  he 
did  not  speak  till  I  had  finished.  Then 
he  said,  —  "  You  are  murderers ;  if  you  had 
never  come,  the  child  would  have  stayed 
with  her  own  people  and  lived.  You  are 
murderers,  but  I  shall  not  kill  you  yet.  I 
shall  listen  to  the  voice  of  the  Great  Spirit, 
and  do  as  it  wills."  He  went  away  then, 
and  that  night,  Leading  Feather  told  us  he 


WHITE   AND    KED.  229 

had  gon«  off  several  miles  to  keep  a  fast 
alone,  and  find  out  what  he  ought  to  do. 
They  believe,  you  know,  that  if  they  keep  a 
fast  faithfully,  the  Great  Spirit  speaks  to 
their  souls,  and  tells  them  all  they  desire 
to  know. 

" '  So  we  waited  three  days,  not  know- 
ing what  would  happen,  but  believing  the 
prayer  of  that  dying  child  was  stronger 
than  the  savage  instinct  of  her  father,  and 
the  third  evening  he  came  silently  as  we 
sat  together,  and  stood  among  us. 

"'"I  shall  not  kill  you,"  he  said;  and 
there  were  great  drops  of  sweat  on  his  fore- 
head as  he  spoke.  "  I  shall  not  kill  you, 
for  last  night,  as  I  sat  alone  in  the  lodge, 
the  Great  Spirit  spoke  to  my  mind  and  told 
me  to  leave  you  unharmed.  I  do  it,  for 
the  child  loved  you,  but  you  are  murder- 
ers. Kay  bay  gwa  has  spoken."  ' 

"  '  And  was  there  no  more  trouble  ? '  I 
asked. 

" '  None,'  said  Mrs.  Ayre.  '  He  never 
spoke  to  us  again  or  indeed  came  near  us, 
but  when  we  left  Red  Lake  finally,  came 
silently  and  shook  hands.  He  died  shortly 
after,  and  I  think  often  that  his  dreadful 
conflict  against  his  own  savage  nature  was 
a  victory  that  may  have  given  him  a  bet- 
ter entrance  into  those  "  many  mansions  " 


230  WHITE   AND   RED. 

than  we  know  of.  He  was  an  Indian  and 
a  heathen,  but  who  shall  say  that  the  All- 
merciful  had  not  a  place  for  him  after 
all?'" 


WHITE   AND    RED.  231 


CHAPTER  XL 

"  JUST  a  little  story  this  evening,  papa," 
Harry  said,  a  week  or  two  after  he  had 
heard  about  '  The  Boy  who  set  a  Snare 
for  the  Sun.'  "  Tell  some  more  about  the 
missionaries.  I've  been  over  the  brook  to- 
day, looking  at  the  place  they  used  to  live 
at  What  a  shame  the  Indians  burned  all 
the  houses  down." 

"It  was  the  boys  who  did  that,"  said  Dr. 
Prescott.  "  The  men  were  sorry,  all  of 
them,  I  think.  Have  I  never  told  you 
about  Mr.  Ayre's  sermon  ?  " 

"  No,"  said  Harry,  "  I  hope  it  ain't  any- 
thing real  sorry,  like  that  about  Kay  bay 
gwa.  I  don't  want  to  hear  it  to-night  if 
it  is." 

"  No, "  said  papa,  "  I  don't  think  you'll 
call  it  a  sorry  story,  and  if  you  do,  I  can 
tell  you  a  very  gay  one  to  make  up  for  it. 
I  have  one  all  ready." 

"  Save  it  for  the  last,  papa,  and  I  hope 
it's  long." 

"  Well,"  said  papa.  "  then  I  will  tell  first 


232  WHITE  AND   RED. 

about  the  missionaries,  who  had  been  here 
about  three  years  when  this  happened. 
There  were  then  several  converts  among 
the  women,  but  these  and  all  the  rest  stole 
continually,  and  the  children  too,  so  that 
whenever  they  came  to  the  teachers' 
houses,  somebody  had  to  watch  all  the 
time,  very  much  as  we  do  now.  It  was 
doubly  an  evil  for  them,  because  then,  you 
know,  every  article  had  to  be  brought  on 
the  backs  of  men,  and  supplies  could  only 
come  once  or  twice  a  year,  and  the  thiev- 
ing was  done  so  skillfully,  that  they  were 
hardly  ever  certain  just  who  to  charge 
with  it  At  last  it  could  be  borne  no 
longer,  and  when  the  only  remaining 
auger  disappeared  from  the  mill  where 
they  had  been  working,  and  the  keg  of 
nails  was  found  to  have  been  skillfully 
tapped,  Mr.  Ayre  determined  to  make  a 
personal  application  in  the  sermon  he  was 
preparing  for  the  next  Sunday,  and  accord- 
ingly urged,  even  harder  than  usual,  that 
as  many  should  come  as  the  room  would 
hold. 

"Sunday  came;  a  fair  spring  day.  and 
not  only  were  the  women  and  children  in 
their  usual  places,  but  all  around  the  room 
squatted  the  older  men,  —  chiefs,  braves, 
and  old  hunters;  fresh  paint  on  their 


WHITE   AND    RED.  233 

faces ;  hair  shining  with  fish  oil ;  the  gayest 
blankets  and  finest  bead-work,  and  all  with 
the  pipe  they  would  have  smoked  steadily 
had  not  Mr.  Ayre  made  special  request 
that  they  would  not.  Many  of  the  women 
had  by  this  time  learned  to  sing  the -hymns 
which  had  been  translated  into  Ojibway, 
and  as  they  joined  with  the  missionaries 
in  the  sweet  old  tunes,  the  Indians  listened 
with  great  satisfaction.  A  little,  a  very 
little,  stir  was  perceptible,  as  Mr.  Ayre 
slowly  and  solemnly  gave  out  his  text, 
'Thou  shalt  not  steal.'  Every  eye  was 
fixed  steadily  on  him  as  he  went  on,  tell- 
ing them  in  the  simplest .  and  most  forci- 
ble words  he  could  use,  of  the  guilt  and 
meanness  of  taking  what  is  not  one's  own, 
and  how  fully  the  Bible  showed  them  the 
wrong  of  such  a  course. 

" '  You  are  honest  with  one  another,'  he 
said.  '  Whether  you  are  Christians  or  not, 
I  go  by  your  lodges  and  see  them  left  with 
only  a  pine  bough  across  the  door,  and 
yet  all  respect  that  sign,  and  would  be 
ashamed  to  steal  from  the  one  who  had 
left  it  unguarded.  You  teach  your  children 
not  to  steal  from  one  another.  Why  then 
do  you  steal  from  us  ?  We  come  among 
you  only  to  do  you  good.  We  have  left 
our  homes  and  our  own  kindred  behind  us. 


234  WHITE    AND    RED. 

We  are  alone  here  with  you,  trying  to 
show  you  the  right  way  to  heaven ;  try- 
ing to  make  you  do  as  the  Great  Spirit 
wishes.  Some  of  you  are  really  His  chil- 
dren, and  wish  to  obey  Him,  but  do  you 
do  this  when  you  take  from  us  the  little 
we  have  ?  Is  there  not  some  one  here  this 
very  day,  who  has  stolen,  perhaps  often  ? ' 

u  Looking  about  as  he  spoke,  Mr.  Ayre 
paused  a  moment,  never  dreaming  an  an- 
swer would  be  given,  but  simply  stopping 
to  give  his  words  more  effect,  when,  right 
before  him,  uprose  the  old  chief. 

"  Ma  dwa  ga  non  ind,  tall  and  stately  and 
wrapping  his  blanket  closer  about  him, 
said,  slowly, — 

" '  Who  is  there  here  who  has  not  stolen  ? 
Let  my  children  speak  to  the  teacher  if 
there  is  one  who  has  not,  or  let  them  tell 
what  they  have  taken.' 

"  There  was  a  murmur  through  the  whole 
assembly.  Then  an  old  woman  near  the 
door  stood  up,  and  in  her  cracked  and 
shaking  voice,  said,  — 

"  '  I  have  stolen  many  times,  but  every- 
thing is  now  gone.  Here,  though,  is  one 
needle  I  took  yesterday,  when  my  hand 
had  no  thought  in  it ; '  and  coming  for- 
ward, she  laid  the  needle  on  Mr.  Ayre's 
desk,  while  he  with  difficulty  kept  from 
smiling.  Then  came  a  buzz  of  confessions. 


WHITE   AND    RED.  235 

" '  I  have  taken  a  gimlet ; '  '  I  have  many 
times  stolen  thread  and  pins ; '  '  I  have 
taken  away  at  night  the  young  peas  and 
beans  ; '  'I  have  taken  the  auger,  but  shall 
bring  it  back  to-morrow.' 

" '  Now  you  are  nearer  right,  my  friends,' 
said  Mr.  Ayre  at  last,  when  there  was 
silence.  '  Bring  back  what  }'ou  have 
taken,  and  resolve  never  to  steal  again. 
The  Great  Spirit  forgives  all  who  repent 
of  wrong-doing  and  try  to  do  better,  and 
He  will  forgive  you.' 

"'Ho!  Ho!'  said  all  together,  —  their 
strongest  sign  of  approval,  and  so  the  ser- 
mon ended. 

"  The  next  morning  a  crowd  of  men, 
women,  and  children,  were  at  the  mission- 
aries' doors,  each  one  bearing  some  stolen 
thing,  or  the  substitute  for  it ;  from  a  pin 
up  to  a  sack  of  potatoes,  and  from  that 
time,  save  in  a  very  few  instances,  their 
property  remained  untouched. 

"  Would  a  white  congregation  have  been 
as  ready  to  make  restitution,  even  if  they 
had  been  equally  impressed  ?  " 

"  Are  any  of  them  alive  now  ?  "  asked 
Harry,  as  his  father  finished.  "  I'd  like  to 
see  the  old  woman  that  gave  back  the 
needle." 

"  She  is  dead  long  ago,  I  suppose,  but 


236  WHITE    AND    RED. 

many  who  were  children  then  will  remem- 
ber it.  Gib  e  way  she's  wife  was  one,  and 
Nah  gon  a  gah  nabe,  and  a  good  many 
others." 

"  I  wish  I  could  talk  Ojibway  well  enough 
to  ask  just  how  they  felt,"  Harry  went 
on.  "  Now,  papa,  tell  the  other  story.  Did 
Aikin  tell  it  to  you  ?  " 

«  Yes,"  said  Dr.  Prescott.  «  He  told  it, 
just  as  he  heard  an  Indian  repeat  it  at  the 
trading  post.  Tisn't  a  very  long  one." 

"  It's  nice  any  way,  if  he  told  it,  papa. 
I  never  heard  him  tell  any  but  first-rate 
stories.  Now  go  on  and  tell  it  just  as  long 
as  you  can." 

"  Far  oft'  in  the  woods,"  papa  began, 
smiling,  "  lived  all  alone  an  Indian  mother, 
with  only  her  baby  and  one  little  dog  for 
company.  Lonely,  you  would  think,  but 
that  she  never  was.  All  the  time  when  in 
the  wigwam  she  talked  to  the  baby  and 
dog,  and  all  the  time  when  out  of  it,  she 
talked  to  herself,  and  so  the  days  went  by, 
and  the  baby  was  almost  old  enough  to 
take  off  from  the  board  to  which  he  had 
been  tied  ever  since  he  was  born. 

"  One  morning,  the  mother,  who  was 
going  into  the  forest  for  wood,  felt  some- 
thing which  told  her  that  trouble  was  in 
the  air,  and  the  Mudgee  Manitous,  or  bad 


WHITE    AND    RED.  237 

spirits  at  work.  At  first  she  determined  to 
stav  at  home,  but  the  day  was  cold  and  the 
fire  almost  out.  So  she  swung  the  cradle 
back  and  forth,  till  the  baby  slept,  and  then 
called  the  little  dog,  who  was  stronger  than 
the  spirits  of  the  air,  and  whose  name  was 
Manitou  Pe  wau  bik,  Spirit  Iron. 

"'Take  care  of -your  brother/  she  said. 
1  Bark  if  I  am  wanted,  and  soon  1  shall 
return,'  and  she  walked  swiftly  into  the 
forest. 

"  Now  it  was  not  the  Mudgee  Manitous 
who  were  brewing  mischief  this  morning, 
but  an  evil  old  woman,  known  as  Mu  kah 
ke  Min  de  mo  ya,  or  the  Toad- woman. 
For  a  long  time  she  had  watched  the  soli- 
tary wigwam,  waiting  for  the  day  to  come, 
when  she  might  steal  the  baby  and  bring 
him  up  as  her  own.  Why  she  wanted  to 
do  this,  you  will  soon  know. 

"  Hardly  had  the  mother  lost  sight  of  the 
wigwam,  when  she  heard  the  dog  barking 
fiercely.  She  ran  back,  but  dog  and  child 
were  gone ;  only  some  fragments  of  the 
wampum  with  which  the  cradle  had  been 
covered,  lay  on  the  floor,  proving  there 
had  been  a  struggle.  A  tuft  of  bear's  hair 
told  who  had  done  this,  for  the  Toad- 
woman  was  sister  to  all  bears,  and  wore 
their  skins  about  her.  The  mother  hur- 


238  WHITE  AND   RED. 

iied  off  over  the  western  trail,  leading,  she 
knew,  to  the  Toad-woman's  lodge.  As  she 
ran,  she  passed  many  wigwams  where  very 
old  women  lived  alone.  Each  one  gave 
her  magic  moccasins  to  wear,  telling  her 
when  she  reached  the  next  lodge,  to  get 
a  fresh  pair,  and  set  the  others  on  the 
trail,  the  toes  pointing  homewards,  when 
they  would  return  of  themselves.  This 
she  did,  but  for  all  her  speed  many  win- 
ters came  and  went  before  she  reached  the 
Far  West  and  saw  the  Toad-woman's  lodge. 
Here,  the  last  grandmother  had  directed 
her  to  build  a  wigwam  of  cedar  boughs, 
and  to  then  make  a  little  bark  dish  and 
fill  it  with  grape-juice,  when  by  this  means 
her  son  would  find  her  out. 

"All  this  the  mother  did,  and  then 
watched  the  Toad-woman's  lodge.  Soon 
she  saw  her  son,  now  a  tall  young  man,  go- 
ing out  to  hunt,  followed  by  Spirit  Iron. 
And  now  you  will  know  why  the  Toad- 
woman  had  stolen  him.  It  was  to  make  him 
.a  great  hunter,  so  that  bear's  meat  might 
.always  be  plenty  in  her  lodge,  for  she  loved 
nothing  in  the  world  so  much  as  bear's 
meat,  and  yet,  as  she  was  sister  to  them, 
could  never  kill  one  without  losing  her 
own  life. 

"  The  young  hunter  walked  on,  but  the 


WHITE   AND    RED.  239 

dog  who,  like  all  dogs,  continually  ran  into 
every  queer  corner  he  could  find,  soon  saw 
the  mother's  wigwam,  and  the  little  bark 
dish  from  which  he  drank.  At  once  his 
eyes  were  opened;  he  remembered  the 
past,  and  could  plan  for  the  future,  and 
now,  without  stopping  to  speak  to  the 
mother,  he  rose  up  on  his  hind  legs,  and 
walking  like  a  man,  went  after  his  young 
master,  who  stopped  in  surprise  as  he  came 
up.  Soon  he  had  heard  the  story,  but 
could  not  believe  it." 

"  *  'Tis  a  stranger,  and  no  mother  of  mine/ 
he  said.  'She  deceives  you,  Spirit  Iron.' 

"  Still  the  dog  persisted,  and  the  young 
man,  to  satisfy  him,  promised  to  visit  the 
new  lodge.  Eeturning  home  at  night  with 
much  meat,  he  said,  while  eating,  — 

" '  Let  some  of  this  meat  be  sent  to  the 
stranger.' 

"  At  once  the  Toad-woman  sent  one  of 
her  children  with  a  large  piece,  which  she 
had  first  bewitched,  thus  making  it  so  bitter 
and  disagreeable,  that  the  mother  threw  it 
away  into  the  bushes,  and  sat  waiting  for 
her  son,  who  would  come,  she  knew.  Soon 
he  was  before  her,  but  listened  coldly  and 
with  many  doubts  to  the  story. 

" '  Ah,  my  son,'  the  mother  said  at  last 
with  tears,  'you  believe  neither  me  nor 


240  WHITE   AND    RED. 

Spirit  Iron.  Here  are  pieces  from  the 
wampum  of  your  cradle,  broken  off  by 
your  brother  in  his  struggle  with  the  Toad- 
woman.  Now  go  home  and  ask  to  see  it, 
and  you  will  then  know  my  tongue  has 
not  lied.' 

"  The  young  man  put  the  pieces  of  blue, 
shining  wampum  in  his  bosom,  and  went 
home  with  Spirit  Iron,  who  encouraged 
him  all  the  way.  As  they  entered,  the 
Toad-woman  knew  at  once  where  they 
had  been,  but  said  nothing,  for  she  thought 
'This  woman  can  never  take  him  from 
me ; '  and  the  young  man  sat  down  and 
thought  how  he  should  manage  to  see  the 
cradle.  By  and  by  an  idea  came,  and  lean- 
ing heavily  on  Spirit  Iron,  he  pretended 
to  be  very  sick.  At  first  the  Toad-woman 
paid  no  attention,  but  as  he  rolled  and 
groaned,  asked  at  last  what  she  could  do 
for  him. 

"  *  Show  me  my  cradle/  he  said,  '  and 
that  will  cure  me.' 

"  The  Toad-woman  went  out,  and  soon 
returned  with  a  cedar  cradle. 

" '  No,  that  is  not  mine,'  he  said  ;  '  I  am 
worse  than  before ; '  and  he  groaned  so  ter- 
ribly that  the  Toad-woman  brought,  one 
after  the  other,  four  cradles  which  had  be- 
longed to  her  four  children. 


WHITE    AND    RED.  241 

" '  None  of  these  are  mine/  he  said,  '  I 
shall  soon  die ; '  and  he  groaned  again  and 
seemed  to  faint,  till  the  old  woman,  very 
much  frightened,  brought  in  a  cradle  of 
wampum,  and  handed  him. 

u  t  This  is  mine,'  he  said,  for  the  shining 
wampum  was  the  same ;  and  there,  on 
the  edge,  were  the  marks  of  Spirit  Iron's 
teeth. 

" '  I  am  better  now,'  he  said,  and  then 
lay  still,  thinking  what  next  to  do.  To 
get  away  from  the  Toad-woman  was  the 
next  thing,  and  to  do  this  a  very  fat  bear 
must  be  killed.  Spirit  Iron  knew  where 
such  a  one  was  to  be  found,  and  the  next 
day  showed  his  young  master,  who  killed  it 
after  a  dreadful  battle,  and  then  stripping 
off  the  bark  and  branches  from  the  tallest 
pine-tree  he  could  find,  set  the  bear  on 
the  very  top,  with  his  nose  to  the  east, 
and  his  tail  to  the  west.  Then  he  went 
home  and  said, — 

" '  Mother,  I  have  a  fine  fat  bear  for  you, 
but  'tis  at  the  end  of  the  world.' 

"'Not  so  far  off  but  that  I  can  find  it,' 
said  the  old  woman,  and  she  set  off  in  great 
glee.  As  soon  as  she  was  out  of  sight,  the 
young  man  and  Spirit  Iron  blew  a  strong 
breath  in  the  faces  of  the  four  children, 
who  were  every  one  bad  spirits,  and  at 


u 


242  WHITE   AND   RED. 

once  life  left  them.  Spirit  Iron  then  put 
a  long  strip  of  bear's  fat  in  the  mouth  of 
each,  and  setting  them  up  against  the  side 
of  the  lodge,  started  with  the  mother  and 
son  for  their  old  home. 

"  In  the  meantime,  the  Toad-woman  had 
with  the  greatest  difficulty,  and  after  many 
times  sliding  down  the  smooth  tree  before 
she  could  reach  the  top,  succeeded  in  get- 
ting the  bear,  and  now  came  joyfully  home, 
to  find  the  lodge  empty  and  her  children 
dead.  Full  of  fury,  she  set  out  at  once  to 
overtake  the  fugitives,  and  was  fast  gain- 
ing on  them,  when  Spirit  Iron,  breathing 
on  the  ground,  whispered, '  Snake-berry.' 

"  At  once  the  snake-berry  spread  before 
her  ;  and  the  old  woman,  who  loved  them 
as  well  as  she  did  fat  bear,  stooped  to  pick 
and  eat,  and  though  she  wished  to  go  on, 
could  never  resist  the  bright  red  berries. 
There  she  is  to  this  day,  tangled  in  snake- 
•berry  vines,  and  always  eating,  while  the 
young  man  and  his  mother  and  Spirit  Iron 
live  peacefully  in  the  wood  where  we  first 
saw  them." 


WHITE  AND   RED.  243 


CHAPTER  XII. 

"  BAPTISTE  is  at  the  warehouse  door,  with 
his  pony  train,  mamma,"  Harry  said,  com- 
ing in  one  day  in  March.  "  There's  such 
a  queer-looking  long  bundle  on  the  train, 
and  Ma  dwa  ga  non  ind,  and  a  lot  of  other 
Indians  are  out  there,  too.  Do  come  and 
see  what  it  is.  Where's  papa  ?  " 

"  He  went  to  Gib  e  nay  she's  wigwam 
to  look  at  his  frozen  foot,"  mamma  said, 
laying  down  her  work.  "  Here  is  Georgy ; 
he  can  tell  us  perhaps." 

Georgy  ran  in,  holding  the  warehouse 
key  in  his  hand. 

"  My  father  gone  away,"  he  said, "  and  I 
open  door  for  dead  man." 

"  For  what  ?  "  said  Harry,  drawing  back 
a  little. 

"  Very  old  dead  man,"  Georgy  went  on. 
"  He  two  grandfathers  for  Besh  quay : 
three,  maybe.  Come  see  me  open  door." 

"  What  does  he  mean  ? "  said  Harry. 
"  How  can  anybody  be  most  three  grand- 
fathers ?  " 

"  He  means  that  the  old  man  was  Besh 


244  WHITE   AND    RED. 

quay's  great-grandfather,  I  suppose,"  inam- 
ma  said,  putting  on  a  shawl  and  going  out 
with  the  two  children.  "  When  did  he  die, 
Georgy?" 

"  Not  know  —  much,"  Georgy  answered. 
"  Two  —  three  day,  maybe.  Not  die  good 
way.  Die  coz  he  son  not  come  home.  He 
not  have  plenty  eat  for  coz  the  woman 
take  it  away." 

"  Do  you  mean  he  starved  to  death  ?  " 
said  mamma. 

"  That's  it,"  answered  Aiken,  who  had 
come  up  to  them.  "  I'll  tell  you  all  about 
it  ma'am,  in  a  minute.  I'll  stop  in  when  I 
come  back  from  Josance's,"  and  he  went 
on  down  the  hill. 

The  warehouse  stood  some  distance 
back  from  the  other  government  buildings, 
on  a  little  rise  of  ground,  almost  a  hill,  and 
was  used  at  payment  time,  as  a  place  for 
the  annuity  goods,  flour,  and  the  like.  In 
winter  it  was  empty,  save  the  canoes  which 
the  Indians  brought  and  piled  up  there,  to 
protect  them  from  the  weather.  These, 
and  some  nets,  Harry  saw  on  one  side,  as 
the  door  opened,  but  all  his  attention  now 
was  fixed  on  the  train,  where  lay  the  dead 
Indian,  bound  in  birch  bark,  a  cap  drawn 
over  the  face,  and  tied  on  his  breast,  a 
blanket,  and  a  roll  of  bark.  As  he  looked, 


WHITE   AND    RED.  245 

the  old  chief  stepped  forward,  and  taking 
his  own  blanket  from  his  shoulders,  threw 
it  over  the  corpse,  the  women  at  the  same 
time  beginning  a  death  wail,  melancholy 
and  piercing,  which  ceased  as  Ma  dwa  ga 
non  ind  lifted  the  blanket  again.  Two  In- 
dians untied  the  cords  which  bound  the 
body  to  the  train,  and  carrying  it  into  the 
warehouse,  laid  it  on  a  blanket  in  one  cor- 
ner. Baptiste  drove  swiftly  away :  the 
door  was  locked,  and  the  Indians  sat  down 
in  a  half-circle  on  the  snow,  and  lighting 
their  pipes,  smoked  silently.  Their  faces 
were  blackened,  and  the  women  sat  with 
their  blankets  drawn  over  their  heads,  and 
now  and  then  broke  into  the  wail  for  a 
moment. 

"  Why  didn't  they  put  him  in  the 
ground  where  the  others  are  buried?" 
Harry  asked,  as  they  went  slowly  back  to 
the  house. 

"  I  don't  know,"  mamma  said,  "  unless 
because  the  ground  was  frozen  so  hard. 
Mr.  Aiken  can  tell  you." 

"  Look  over  toward  the  trading-post," 
said  Aiken,  who  had  come  up.  "See 
that  smoke  ?  Well,  that's  where  they've 
got  fires  burning  to  soften  the  ground :  by 
to-morrow  morning  they'll  have  a  grave 
ready.  They  won't  keep  him  out  of  the 


246  WHITE   AND   RED. 

ground  longer'n  they  can  help,  fur  yer  see 
his  sperrit  carn't  start  for  the  other  side 
till  he's  buried." 

"  What  made  them  put  him  in  the  ware- 
house ? "  said  Harry.  "  Why  didn't  they 
leave  him  in  his  own  wigwam  ?  " 

"  Indian  dogs  might  a  got  at  him,"  said 
Aiken.  "  They're  fierce  sometimes.  Don't 
s'pose  the  daughter-in-law  would  a  cared 
much,  but  the  son  would,  an'  so  Baptiste 
took  him  up  here." 

"  Who  is  it?"  said  Dr.  Prescott ;  who  had 
just  come  in. 

"  Nobody  you  ever  see,  I  reckon,"  Aiken 
went  on.  "He  was  a  big  warrior  once. 
Pe  dosh  ah  nish  ka,  was  his  name.  That 
means,  He-comes-in-a-canoe.  He'd  a  good 
row  o'  scalps  too.  He  was  older'n  old 
Kah  wis  kiniky,  and  he's  nigh  a  hundred. 
Most  all  his  relations  was  dead  too,  only 
this  one  son  that  was  most  too  old  himself 
to  go  off  hunting.  There  was  this  woman, 
an'  she  was  pretty  old  too.  There  was  a 
lot  of  'em,  but  you  see  they  got  killed  on 
the  war  path,  a  good  while  ago.  They 
lived  down  to  Big  Rock,  nine  mile  away  I 
guess,  an'  the  son  went  off  on  his  hunt,  an' 
lef  the  old  man  for  this  woman  to  see  to. 
Most  ginerally  they're  pretty  good  to  their 
old  people,  but  this  woman  always  seemed 


WHITE   AND    RED.  247 

to  have  a  grudge  agin  him,  sence  her  t.wo 
sons  was  scalped  by  the  Sioux  an'  he  come 
home  alive,  an'  kep'  livin'  along.  So  after 
the  son's  been  gone  a  day  or  two,  maybe, 
she  just  chops  a  little  wood,  so's  to  say 
she'd  left  him  some,  an'  she  gives  him  some 
parched  corn  and  starts  off  He  thought 
she  was  goin'  after  fish  or  somethin',  an' 
staid  contented  enough  by  the  fire,  but 
when  night  come,  an'  he  all  alone,  he  be- 
gan to  think.  He  couldn't  help  himself, 
you  see,  for  when  he  come  back  from  that 
last  war-path,  one  o'  his  sides  was  cut  an' 
slashed  all  to  pieces  most,  and  sort  of  drew 
up,  so  'twarn't  no  use  to  him. 

'•  Well,  he  managed  to  pull  in  a  little  more 
wood  from  outside,  an'  rolled  up  in  his 
blanket.  He'd  eaten  the  last  o'  the  corn, 
coz  he  thought  she'd  be  along  with  more, 
an'  there  he  went  without  five  days.  Then 
Nee  chee  just  happened  to  go  by,  goin' 
off  on  a  hunt,  an'  thought  it  queer  there 
warn't  no  smoke,  so  he  looked  in,  an' 
there  was  the  old  man.  jest  most  gone. 
Nee  chee  give  him  corn,  an'  built  a  fire, 
an'  the  old  man  brightened  up  some,  an' 
told  him  what  I've  been  tellin'  you,  an' 
then  he  jest  died,  without  another  word. 
The  woman's  down  to  Cass  Lake,  an'  the 
son  don't  know  a  word  about  it.  He'd  a 


248  WHITE   AND   BED. 

died  pretty  soon  anyway,  an'  'twarn't  no 
use  to  hurry  him  so.  They've  hunted  up 
the  relations,  all  there  is ;  an'  the  old  chief, 
he'll  see  that  they  keep  the  fire  burnin'." 

«  What  for  ?"  said  Harry. 

"  0,  so's  to  light  him  to  the  spirit-land," 
said  Aiken.  "Keep  him  warm  too.  It'll 
be  seven  days,  you  see,  after  he's  buried, 
afore  his  soul  you  know  gets  to  the  river 
where  it  goes  over  the  pole,  an'  so  they 
keep  a  fire  burnin',  an'  put  plenty  to  eat 
in  the  grave.  If  they  didn't,  he'd  come 
back,  rovin'  among  the  lodges,  an'  do  all 
the  harm  he  could.  It's  all  the  same, 
whether  they  bury  'em,  or  stick  'em  up  in 
the  air.  There's  got  to  be  some  sort  o' 
doins  to  keep  'em  quiet,  an'  I  guess  that's 
the  way  mostly,  everywhar.  I  remember 
the  time  when  they  used  to  put  most  of 
'em  up  on  a  sort  of  scaffold,  nine  or  ten 
feet  high,  maybe,  an'  let  'em  go  to  bones 
in  the  air.  The  Sioux  an'  some  o'  the  rest 
does  it  now,  but  Ojibways  bury  their  dead 
mostly." 

"  But  this  is  a  case  of  actual  murder," 
said  Dr.  Prescott.  "  Can  nothing  be  done 
to  punish  this  woman  ?  " 

"  Well,  no,"  Aiken  answered  slowly. 
"The  old  chiefs  mad.  He's  gettin'  into 
years,  himself,  you  see,  an'  ain't  likely  to  be 


WHITE   AND   BED.  249 

pleased,  thinkin'  there's  any  chance  they'll 
serve  him  so.  'Taint  likely  though,  for 
his  daughters  is  good  kind  o'  women  as 
squaws  go,  an'  his  son  thinks  a  heap  of 
him.  He  says  her  tongue  ought  ter  be 
slit ;  but  she'll  stay  to  Cass  Lake  till  it's  all 
blown  over,  an'  there  won't  be  a  word, 
you'll  see.  They're  all  goin'  into  birch 
camp  pretty  soon,  anyway,  an'  then  you'll 
have  an  easy,  lonesome  time,  six  weeks  an' 
more.  Come,  I'll  tell  you  what  birch  camp 
is,  to  save  ye  the  bother  o'  askin',"  Aiken 
went  on,  laughing  at  Harry,  who  was  just 
ready  to  say,  "What's  that?"  "They 
go  to  the  birch  woods  first,  so's  to  be 
where  bark's  handy,  so't  they  can  make  all 
the  pans  they  want  to  catch  sap  in." 

"  0,  sugar  time  ! "  said  Harry,  delighted. 
u  Sure  enough,  it's  most  sugar  time.  0, 
can't  we  go  to  the  camp  ?  " 

"  'Tain't  time  yet,"  said  Aiken,  "  not  for 
most  a  fortnight  yet.  My  woman'll  be 
goin'  along  after  a  while,  an'  maybe  then 
you'd  all  like  to  go  down  a  day  or  two. 
It's  a  pretty  sight  for  them  that  ain't  used 
to  Injins,  an'  it's  goin'  to  be  a  first-rate 
sugar  year,  I  guess." 

u  You  will  go,  won't  you  ?  "  Harry  asked, 
after  Aiken  had  gone. 

"  We'll  see,"  was  all  papa  said ;  but  Harry, 


250  WHITE   AND    RED. 

satisfied,  went  to  work  at  the  lesson,  which 
was  to  have  been  learned  an  hour  before. 
Georgy  came  down  presently  to  say  his 
multiplication  table,  in  which,  though  he 
had  been  studying  it  a  month,  he  had  got 
no  further  than  three  times  eight,  and 
seemed  likely  to  stay  there.  Reaching 
this  point,  and  saying,  as  usual,  "Three 
times  eight  are  forty-two,"  he  was  sent  to 
the  end  of  the  room  to  study,  and  soon  be- 
gan a  talk  with  Sozette,  to  which  Harry 
listened. 

"  What  was  that  last  she  told  you  ?  "  he 
asked  presently,  as  Sozette  drew  down  her 
chin,  and  imitated  an  old  woman  eating. 

"  She  say,"  Georgy  answered,  "  she  glad 
old  man  dead.  Old  mens,  old  womans 
not  any  good.  They  eat  mum-num  — 
chew  so.  She  kill  her  father  when  he  get 
old  ;  not  hurt  him  any ;  sit  on  his  mouth, 
maybe." 

"  0,  what  an  awful  girl ! "  said  Harry, 
really  growing  pale.  "  Mamma,  hear  what 
Sozette  says,  and  I  saw  her  kiss  her  father 
this  morning.  What  shall  we  do  with 
her  ?  " 

"  I  don't  know  indeed,"  mamma  an- 
swered, looking  for  a  moment  at  Sozette, 
who,  having  shocked  people  as  she  intend- 
ed, sat  now  with  her  great  eyes  dancing, 


WHITE   AND    RED.  251 

and  all  ready  for  a  scolding.  Not  a  word 
was  said  then.  Harry  looked  at  mamma 
and  wondered,  but  kept  still,  and  Georgy 
went  on  with  his  table.  When  evening 
came,  Sozette  seemed  unwilling  to  go 
home,  and  hung  about  the  room,  till  Mrs. 
Prescott  had  once  or  twice  told  her  to  go, 
and  then  began  talking  to  Harry  about  Ja 
bah  e  and  the  Gitchee  waw  ki  a  gen. 

u  What  is  it  ?  "  mamma  asked,  presently. 

"  She's  afraid  to  go  home,"  Harry  said. 
"  She  says  the  Ja  bah  e,  in  the  warehouse, 
will  come  out  and  chase  her,  because  it 
hasn't  been  put  in  the  ground,  and  hasn't 
any  fire." 

"  Maja,  Sozette,"  Dr.  Prescott  said,  with- 
out looking  up. 

"  Ka,  ah  ka,"  Sozette  said,  beginning  to 
cry.  u  Keen  tugishin."  (No,  0  no !  You 
come  with  me.) 

Dr.  Prescott  put  on  his  cap,  and  walked 
down  to  the  wigwam  with  the  frightened 
child,  who  came  close  to  him  as  they 
passed  the  warehouse.  As  well  as  he  could, 
he  told  her  that  she  had  nothing  to  fear 
from  this  or  any  other  spirit,  for  the  Great 
Spirit  only  had  power  over  people,  and  no 
lesser  one  could  do  harm  to  any  one.  He 
told  her  too,  that  Christian  men  and  women 
were  kind  to  the  aged,  and  what  a  dread- 


252  WHITE   AND    RED. 

ful  thing  it  was  to  have  starved  this  poor 
old  man,  who  had  had  little  children  like 
her  once,  and  done  all  he  could  for  them. 
Sozette  made  no  answer  then,  but  told 
Harry  next  morning,  that  her  tongue  was 
long  when  she  said  she  should  kill  her 
father;  and  this  meant,  that  she  had  not 
been  in  earnest. 

Standing  at  the  window  about  nine 
o'clock,  Harry  saw  Georgy  opening  the 
warehouse  door,  and  some  Indians  bring- 
ing out  the  old  man's  body.  Mamma  got 
ready  at  once,  and  they  started  for  the 
spot  where  they  had  seen  the  fire  the  day 
before.  There  were  three  graves  here  al- 
ready, and  near  them  a  fresh  one,  hardly 
two  feet  deep,  in  which  they  placed  the 
body,  with  some  rolls  of  birch-bark,  a 
piece  of  calico,  and  some  parched  corn. 
Then  the  earth  was  thrown  in,  and  stamped 
down  hard,  and  over  the  grave  was  set  at 
once  one  of  the  wooden  covers,  not  a  cof- 
fin, but  a  sort  of  box.  Je  bah  e  mocock  is 
the  Indian  name,  which  means  "  spirit  box." 
(Here  is  a  picture  which  will  show  you 
how  they  look  better  than  I  can  tell  you.) 
There  are  openings  in  the  end,  where  they 
put  in  food  and  birch-bark,  for  seven  days 
after  the  body  is  buried.  Now  that  the 
Indians  have  boards,  they  prefer  burying 


WHITE   AND   RED.  .  253 

in  this  way  to  any  other,  but  long  ago,  be- 
fore there  were  mills  among  them,  the  dead 
were  put  on  scaffolds  made  of  poles,  as  I 
have  told  you,  or  in  great  mounds,  some 
of  which  have  been  opened  and  found  to 
contain  not  only  their  skeletons,  but  those 
of  horses  and  dogs,  which  even  now  are 
sometimes  killed,  that  their  owners  may 
find  them  in  waiting  when  they  reach  the 
spirit-land.  At  Leech  Lake,  a  few  years 
ago,  a  small  mound  was  opened,  and  in  it 
was  found,  besides  these  various  skeletons, 
some  beautiful  wampum  made  of  small 
delicate  shells,  and  some  clay  dishes  and 
cups,  with  strange  figures  wrought  in  them. 
The  Indians,  for  more  than  a  hundred 
years,  have  had  no  pottery  or  crockery  of 
any  sort  among  them,  and  they  say  the 
art  of  making  it,  though  known  to  their 
fathers,  has  been  forgotten.  Aiken  had 
half  a  bowl,  which  had  been  found  near 
the  creek  after  the  great  freshet  of  the 
spring  before  went  down,  and  which  was 
a  brownish  red  clay,  with  a  bird  moulded 
on  it,  looking  much  like  the  curious  speci- 
mens in  the  museum  at  St.  Paul.  Harry 
begged  it  of  him,  and  saved  it  carefully  to 
take  home  to  Boston.  Perhaps  you  will 
see  it  there  some  day. 

Passing  the  grave  a  day  or  two  later, 


254  WHITE   AND    RED. 

on  his  way  to  the  trading-post,  Harry 
saw  that  a  scalp  hung  from  a  pole  over 
the  old  man's  grave.  Round  it  too  were 
sitting  several  Indians,  smoking,  and  with 
blackened  faces,  who  had  come  here  to  do 
honor  to  his  memory.  The  scalp  was  an 
old  one,  for  only  one  long  lock  of  hair 
hung  from  it,  but  it  was  decked  with  rib- 
bons, and  a  fox's  tail.  Papa  joined  him  as 
he  stood  looking,  and  they  walked  on, 
passing  soon  the  grave  of  a  great  chief, 
who  had  died  years  before,  and  over  which 
waved  the  last  of  many  scalps  once  put 
there.  Close  by  was  a  smaller  grave,  that 
of  his  daughter,  papa  said,  and  through  the 
white  snow  covering  it,  rose  the  gray  cross 
which  marks  all  those  who  died  in  the 
Christian  faith.  Harry  could  hardly  have 
told  you  what  thought  went  through  his 
mind  as  he  said, — 

"  It's  better  to  lie  under  the  cross  than 
under  the  scalp,  isn't  it,  papa  ?  " 

"  Better  than  you  can  begin  to  know, 
almost,"  papa  said,  slowly.  "I  wish  it 
were  possible  for  these  poor  people  to  see 
how  much  better." 

"  We  can't  teach  them,  because  we  can't 
talk  well  enough,"  said  Harry.  "  but  why 
don't  they  stop  sending  so  many  mission- 
aries to  China  and  way  off  there,  and  let 


WHITE   AND   RED.  255 

some  come  up  here.  The  old  chief  says 
he  wants  his  people  to  learn  how  to  read 
and  write,  so't  the  bad  white  people  needn't 
cheat  them  so.  He  thinks  most  all  the 
white  people  are  bad." 

"  He's  about  right,"  said  Aiken's  voice 
from  behind,  "  whoever  it  is  you're  talkin' 
about.  The  whites  that  come  round  here 
an'  live,  ought  to  be  burned  alive  every 
one  on  'em.  Serve  'em  right.  There  ain't 
an  Injin  alive  wouldn't  be  ashamed  ter 
do  some  o'  their  tricks.  I  tell  yer,  I 
don't  blame  'em  so  much  for  risin'  most 
any  time.  Them  Sioux  now  are  a  set  o' 
devils,  I  know  that  very  well,  but  don't 
you  suppose,  if  they'd  ever  been  treated 
decent,  they'd  a  had  some  decency  them- 
selves? I  tell  yer,  white  men'll  have  to 
stand  round  some  when  that  day  o'  settlin' 
accounts  comes,  an'  I  bet  that  old  feller 
under  the  scalp  thar'll  have  an  easier  time 
footin'  up  his  bill,  than  nine  tenths  o'  the 
white  folks,  that  maybe  he'd  a  good  will 
to  scalp.  Now  I  remember  once  to  La 
Pointe  a  new  preacher  had  just  come.  He 
knew  Ojibway  first-rate,  an'  he  was  blazin' 
away,  sendin'  'em  all  to  fire'n  brimstone, 
an'  saying  'twas  good  enough  for  'em  if 
they  didn't  repent.  What'd  they  know 
about  repentin  '  ?  He  just  come  an'  they 


256  WHITE   AND    RED. 

never  heard  o'  the  Lord  or  any  other  part 
o'  the  Bible  afore.  They  listened  to  him, 
easy  like,  their  way  you  know,  an'  I  larfed 
to  think  how  he'd  gone  to  work.  Pretty 
soon  I  takes  up  his  Testament  an'  reads 
this ;  it  was  in  Ojibway,  but  I  got  it  in 
English  after  that.  Couldn't  tell  ye  where 
'tis,  but't  shows  how  the  Lord  looks  at  the 
matter. 

" '  For  when  the  Gentiles  which  have  not 
the  law,  do  by  nature  the  things  contained 
in  the  law,  they  having  not  the  law,  are  a 
law  unto  themselves.'  Now  I  says  to  him, 
'  These  Injins  is  a  good  set ;  don't  lie  nor 
steal  much,  .an'  mean  to  do  right  They 
follow  out  that  verse,  an'  I  don't  see  why 
they  won't  get  to  heaven  in  their  way.' 
'  They  might,'  he  says,  '  if  they  had  never 
heard  the  gospel,  but  I've  preached  that 
to  'em,  an'  now  they  have  not  the  excuse  of 
ignorance.'  '  You  haven't  preached  gospel,' 
says  I ; '  you've  preached  brimstone.'  You 
see  I  knew  what  gospel  was,  for  the  Yan- 
kee that  brought  me  up  was  a  good  Chris- 
tian man,  ef  he  was  an  Indian  trader.  Well, 
that  missionary  was  mad ;  said  I  was 
wus'n  any  of  'em.  He  couldn't  do  much 
though  ;  but  I  tell  ye,  there  was  some  there 
knew  what  to  say  an'  what  to  live  too.  an' 
the  Indians  just  believed  every  word  they 
said." 


WHITE   AND    RED.  257 

As  Aiken  talked  they  were  walking  on, 
and  had  reached  the  trading  post,  a  low, 
wide  log  building.  Three  stood  near  each 
other,  each  owned  by  different  men,  but 
Aiken's  was  both  the  largest  and  the  neat- 
est. At  one  end  was  the  clay  chimney, 
and  a  pile  of  wood,  arid  about  it  were  sitting 
and  lying  some  twenty  Indians.  At  the 
upper  end  was  a  rude  counter,  and  behind 
this  were  shelves,  with  an  array  of  goods 
such  as  Indians  like  ;  gay  calicoes  and  de- 
laines ;  scarlet  and  blue  cloth  for  leggins ; 
shawls  and  blankets ;  plenty  of  beads ;  and 
pewter  ear-rings  and  bracelets,  and  close 
by,  all  sizes  of  tin  pans  and  pails. 

"  Kind  of  mean  to  give  'em  that  pewter 
stuff,"  said  Aiken,  seeing  Dr.  Prescott  look- 
ing at  the  pile  of  ornaments,  "  but  ef  I 
don't,  somebody  else  will,  yer  see,  an' 
maybe,  not  so  many  for  a  dollar  as  me,  fur 
I  do  calculate  to  be  average  honest  with 
'em.  I  was  goin'  to  tell  yer  though,  what 
the  reason  is  the  missionaries  can't  seem  to 
hold  on,  when  they  git  one  o'  the  Indians 
converted.  He'll  be  a  good  enough  Chris- 
tian so  long's  he's  well,  but  let  him  get 
sick,  an'  he'll  have  the  medicine-dance  ef 
he  was  forty  Christians  in  one.  You  know 
Little  Thunder's  son,  that  died  last  sum- 
mer ;  Mis  ko  ke  nay  she  (Red  Bird)  was 

17 


258  WHITE   AND    RED. 

his  name.  He  could  read  English  an' 
Ojibway  too  ;  Mr.  Wright  taught  him,  an' 
he  was  a  firskrate  Christian,  honester'n 
the  common  run,  but  he  had  the  grand 
pow-wow  when  he  was  dying,  and  there's 
not  one  but  what  would.  It's  a  revelation, 
you  see,  and  I  don't  know  but  what  there's 
reason  in  it  too.  I  wouldn't  'a  thought  so, 
only  old  Nah  gon  a  ga  nabe  lived  five  or 
six  year  after  he  had  it.  Sit  down  any- 
where, an'  I'll  tell  you  the  whole  story. 

"  You  see  the  old  man  that  was  this  Nah 
gon  a  ga  nabe's  father,  got  to  be  a  pretty 
good  Christian  when  he  lived  to  Lake  Su- 
perior. He  come  to  Red  Lake  somewhere 
about  1848,  when  this  chief  was  a  little 
fellow,  an'  hadn't  been  here  two  year  afore 
he  was  taken  sick.  The  medicine-men 
came  an'  wanted  to  perform,  but  he 
wouldn't  have  ?em.  Said  he  was  a  Chris- 
tian, and  meant  to  die  like  one.  They  let 
him  alone,  an'  he  did  die  after  awhile,  so 
they  thought ;  but  the  wife  he'd  kept,  for 
he  wouldn't  have  but  one  after  he  was 
converted,  she  said  he  wasn't  dead,  and 
shouldn't  be  buried.  They  kept  him  then, 
four  or  five  days,  and  though  there  warn't 
sense  nor  motion  to  him,  he  didn't  seem 
like  a  dead  man.  Well,  Nah  gon  a  ga 
nabe  says  he  staid  so  twenty  days,  but 


WHITE   AND    RED.  259 

I  don't  know  about  that.  Anyway,  he 
opened  his  eyes  one  day,  an'  saw  'em  sit- 
ting round  with  their  faces  blacked,  an' 
first  he  called  for  something  to  eat,  an' 
then  tells  'em  to  wash  off  that  black  an' 
call  the  medicine-men,  for  he  wanted  a 
grand  dance.  He  was  weak  as  a  cat,  an' 
couldn't  do  nothin'  that  day  after  all,  but 
next  day  they  had  one.  You've  seen  'em, 
and  you  know  how  the  medicine-men  hold 
up  the  bag,  an'  all  bows  at  it.  Well,  old 
Nah  gon  a  ga  nabe  bows,  though  he'd  been 
set  agin  doing  it,  afore  he  died,  or  what- 
ever it  was,  an'  then  he  stands  up  with  his 
blanket  around  him,  an'  tells  'em  he  was 
a  Christian  still,  but  he  was  Indian  too, 
though  he  wasn't  going  to  scalp.  That 
the  Great  Spirit  had  given  them  a  good 
faith,  an'  he  should  stick  to  it  the  rest  o' 
his  life,  an'  this  was  why :  — 

u  When  he  died,  or  went  into  that  kind 
o'  sleep,  he  said  he  knew  he  was  dead,  and 
started  on  to  the  spirit-land.  He  went 
over  the  pole  all  right,  though  he  thought 
that  was  queer  too,  for  he  didn't  know 
Christians  got  into  their  heaven  that  way, 
an'  when  he  was  over,  he  looked  up  and 
see  a  big  gate.  So  he  went  there  and 
knocked,  an'  pretty  soon  down  comes  a 
white  man  an'  says  —  '0,  you're  an  In- 


260  WHITE   AND    RED. 

dian !  this  isn't  your  gate  :  your  gate's  over 
there.'  So  old  Nah  gon  a  ga  nabe  goes 
across  a  big  open  space,  and  sees  another 
gate,  and  an  Indian  at  it.  He  walks  up, 
sure  he's  all  right,  and  goes  to  open  it,  but 
the  Indian  inside  says,  '  This  ain't  your 
place.  You're  a  praying  Indian.  You  go 
over  to  the  white  man's  gate.'  'But  I've 
been  once,'  says  Nah  gon  a  ga  nabe,  *  an' 
they  won't  let  me  in.'  — '  Well,  you  go 
again,'  says  the  Indian, (  for  you  can't  come 
in  here.'  — l  But  I'm  one  o'  you,'  says  Nah 
gon  a  ga  nabe  ; '  don't  you  see  my  blanket  ? ' 
'  Yes,  I  see  that,'  says  the  Indian,  '  but 
you're  not  a  good  Indian.  You've  come 
here  without  having  the  medicine-dance 
over  you,  an'  that's  the  only  thing  that'll 
open  this  gate.  You  might  be  a  Christian 
all  you  like,  but  you've  got  to  have  the 
medicine-dance,  to  show  you  haven't  turned 
white  man.'  So  Nah  gon  a  ga  nabe  walks 
back  and  knocks  at  the  other  gate,  an' 
when  the  white  man  comes  down,  says  he, 
1  What  you  here  for  ?  why  didn't  you  stay 
where  you  was  sent  ?  ' —  'I  couldn't,'  says 
old  Nah  gon  a  ga  nabe  ;  i  they  don't  have 
prayin'  Indians  there  ; '  an'  he  began  to  feel 
pretty  miserable.  The  white  man  thought 
a  minute,  an'  then  he  says,  '  Well,  if  you'd 
been  a  bad  Indian,  that  pretended  to  be 


WHITE   AND    RED.  261 

converted,  so's  to  get  presents  out  o'  the 
missionaries,  you'd  had  to  keep  walkin' 
back  an'  forth  here  forever,  but  you're  a 
good  man,  so  we'll  let  you  go  back  to  earth 
again.  Live  like  a  Christian,  but  go  to 
the  medicine-dance,  an'  follow  the  ways  o' 
your  people,  an'  when  you  die  again,  you'll 
go  into  the  happy  hunting  grounds  with 
the  others,  an'  from  there  you  can  git  into 
our  heaven  by  another  road.'  Well,  now, 
you  may  laugh,  but  there  ain't  an  Ojibway 
here  don't  believe  that  I'll  ask  these  men 
here  what  they  think." 

Turning  to  the  Indians  before  the  fire, 
Aiken  spoke  rapidly  to  them.  "  How ! 
how !  how  i  "  several  said,  half  rising,  and 
one  tall  man  looking  up,  said, "  Tabway ;  ah 
pitchee  tab  way."  (Truth ;  the  very  truth.) 

"  Kaget,  tabway  "  (Truly  the  truth),  an- 
swered the  others  seriously,  and  went  on 
smoking. 

"  0,  I  could  tell  you  a  heap  o'  stories," 
said  Aiken,  "  an'  every  one  queerer'n  the 
last.  I've  been  hearin'  'em  off  and  on  forty 
year  an'  more,  an'  then  I'm  eighth  Indian 
myself,  and  sort  of  believes  some  of  'em." 

"  You've  told  a  lot  of  queer  ones  already," 
said  Harry ;  "  I  wrote  some  of  them  home 
to  Aunt  Fannie,  an'  she  said  she'd  make  a 
book  out  of  'em  if  she  could  be  here." 


262  WHITE   AND    RED. 

"  Did  you  now  ? "  said  Aiken,  quite 
pleased.  "You're  a  small  chap  to  be 
writin',  but  then  it  comes  nat'ral,  I  sup- 
pose. When  I  was  in  the  war  that 
year  —  1863  I  guess  'twas ;  any  way  'twas 
down  on  the  Peninsula,  along  with  a  Gen- 
eral that  knew  how  not  to  go  forward, 
better'n  most  any  man  you  ever  hearn 
on,  an'  one  o'  the  men  had  some  poe- 
try sent  him  by  his  sweetheart.  So  I 
takes  it  up  one  day,  an'  I'm  level  beat  if 
I  didn't  open  right  on  all  the  Indians  in 
creation.  I  read  it  then.  Pretty  good, 
some  of  it,  but  I'd  like  to  say  a  word  to 
Mr.  Longfellow,  about  the  way  he's  mixed 
up  Sioux  and  Ojibways.  I  tell  you,  I 
should  a  thought  them  types  would  a  fell 
foul  o'  each  other,  an'  jest  knocked  'ein- 
selves  all  ways.  Do  for  a  story  you  see, 
but  I  could  a  told  him  'twasn't  the  thing, 
when  he  was  writin'  about  the  '  Land  o' 
the  Dacotahs,'  to  make  'em  talk  Sioux  one 
day  and  Ojibway  the  next.  He's  nothin' 
but  a  writer,  though." 

"He  knows  more'n  any  man  that  ever 
was  up  here,"  said  Harry,  indignant.  "  He's 
a  great  poet.  I  saw  Minnehaha,  just  ex- 
actly the  way  he  wrote  about  it." 

«  Ho !  ho  !  ho !  "  laughed  Aiken.  «  You 
know  more  this  minute  about  Indians  'n 
he  does." 


WHITE   AND    RED.  263 

"I  don't,"  said  Harry,  offended.  «I 
wouldn't,"  and  he  walked  toward  the  door. 
The  tall  Indian  said,  "  Wagonind  ? "  and 
Harry,  still  more  disturbed,  as  they  all 
laughed  a  little,  went  home  fast  as  he  could, 
where  his  mother  was  surprised  to  hear 
that  the  trouble  had  arisen  because  Mr. 
Aiken  did  not  appreciate  Longfellow. 

Harry  found  plenty  to  do  for  a  week  or 
two,  watching  the  packing  up  and  moving 
away  of  all  who  had  been  living  near 
them.  Their  next  door  neighbor  went 
last ;  a  very  nice  squaw  with  several  chil- 
dren, whose  husband  had  gone  to  Pembina. 

A  day  or  two  after,  Harry  ran  in,  in 
great  excitement. 

"  Nah  gon  a  ga  nabe's  going  to  sugar- 
camp  to-morrow,  mamma,  and  they  want 
me  to  go.  Can  I  ?  " 

"  How  long  do  you  want  to  stay  ? " 
mamma  asked,  doubtfully. 

"  0,  only  two  or  three  days,  so's  to  eat 
a  heap  o'  new  sugar.  The  sap's  begun  to 
run.  Just  see  here  ! "  and  Harry  drew  out 
perhaps  a  teaspoonful  of  new  sugar. 

"  It  sounds  absurd  to  let  him  go  twelve 
miles  away  with  Indians,"  said  mamma. 
"  What  do  you  think,  Henry  ?  " 

"  Only  one  objection,"  said  papa,  laugh- 
ing. "  You  know  you  said,  Harry,  after 


264  WHITE   AND   RED. 

that  night  at  Little  Kock's,  that  you  never 
meant  to  sleep  with  Indians  again,  because 
of  the  dreadful  little  crawlers.  You  may 
go,  if  you  can  make  up  your  mind  to 
them." 

"  Pennyroyal !  "  shouted  Harry.  "  That 
keeps  off  skeeters.  Give  me  some  penny- 
royal, papa,  and  I'll  rub  it  all  over  me." 

So  when  Harry  got  up  next  morning,  he 
rubbed  on  pennyroyal,  till  he  was  brown  as 
any  Indian.  Indeed,  he  looked  like  one, 
in  many  ways.  He  had  worn  moccasins  all 
winter,  and  around  his  waist  was  a  belt 
from  which  hung  a  little  bowie-knife,  used 
in  his  case  to  scrape  the  snow  from  his 
moccasins;  a  thing  which  all  who  wear 
them  do,  so  soon  as  they  come  near  a  fire, 
else  the  melting  snow  would  soak  the  soft 
skin  in  a  few  moments.  He  wore,  too,  a 
coon-skin  cap,  with  the  tail  hanging  be- 
hind, and  rabbit-skin  mittens,  and  having 
grown  very  fat,  and  a  good  deal  taller  than 
when  we  first  saw  him,  looked  very  much 
like  Besh  quay,  who  was  going  with  him, 
and  whose  picture  you  shall  see. 

Papa  and  mamma  went  over  to  Nah 
gon  a  ga  nabe's  to  see  them  off,  and  said  he 
should  come  down  with  mamma  in  a  day 
or  two.  Mrs.  Nah  gon  a  ga  nabe  carried 
the  house  and  baby  on  her  back.  Nah  gon 


WHITE   AND    RED.  265 

a  sake  had  a  muskemote  of  potatoes ;  the 
two  little  ones  some  corn,  and  on  the  very 
smallest  of  small  dog-trains,  were  the  two 
great  sheet-iron  pails,  of  which  twenty,  just 
like  them,  had  been  brought  up  by  the 
traders  for  sugarihg  time.  There  were  two 
little  ones  for  boiling  the  fish  and  corn, 
and  Harry  laughed  to  himself,  thinking 
how  pleased  they  would  be,  when  he  took 
out  of  his  satchel  the  package  of  nice  tea 
mamma  had  given  him,  and  which  cost  so 
much  at  Red  Lake,  that  they  seldom  get  it. 
The  two  foxy  looking  dogs  snarled  and 
snapped,  but  Besh  quay  kept  them  in  the 
track,  and  the  long  file  wound  on  through 
the  woods  till  they  were  out  of  sight,  fol- 
lowed shortly  by  Georgy  Campbell,  who 
at  the  last  minute  had  been  allowed  to 
go. 

"I  can't  believe  it  is  Harry,"  mamma 
said  as  they  turned  towards  home.  "  Here 
not  quite  four  months,  and  yet  he  is  start- 
ing off  to-day  on  a  twelve  mile  walk,  and 
we  let  him.  What  would  his  grandmother 
say?" 

Papa  laughed.  "  When  we  go  down  to 
camp,"  he  said  ;  "  I'll  make  a  sketch  of  the 
lodge  and  the  people  in  it,  and  ask  her  to 
pick  out  Harry.  She'll  never  dream  that 
the  fat  little  savage  in  a  skin  cap  is  the 


266  WHITE    AND    RED. 

one  to  decide  upon.     Minnesota  is  a  won- 
derful State." 

I  know  you  are  all  anxious  to  find  out 
just  how  much  sugar  Harry  ate,  and  you 
would  be  still  more  anxious  if  I  should 
give  you  even  a  hint  of  something  he  saw 
on  the  way  down.  But  this  chapter  is  too 
long  already,  and  so  for  that,  and  a  good 
many  other  things,  you  must  wait.  It 
may  be  a  long  time,  it  may  be  a  very  short 
time  before  I  shall  tell  you  more,  but  more 
there  surely  is,  and  there  are  long  chapters 
still  to  be  written  before  you  hear  the  very 
last  of 

WHITE  AND  RED. 


- 


•f  o  '^ 

* 
*-   ^.    ^ 


m  "  ••""••i  ||  ||j  ||  Hi ||  |j| ||    J   || 


